South Milwaukee Pizza Hut homicide; plea deal reached
Kavonn Ingram
SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. - A Milwaukee man accused after a body was found outside a South Milwaukee Pizza Hut reached a plea deal in the homicide case on Monday, Aug. 19.
Kavonn Ingram, who had originally pleaded not guilty to four charges against him in February, pleaded guilty to two charges on Monday – first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Two other charges – hiding a corpse and armed robbery – were dismissed and read into the court record for the purposes of sentencing.
Ingram is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 4.
Case details
South Milwaukee police were called to the Pizza Hut on Chicago Avenue in February after a garbage truck driver said there was a garbage can behind the dumpsters that looked like it had a body in it, according to a criminal complaint.
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An officer walked over to the dumpster, per the complaint, and found a 55-gallon trash can on wheels. He saw what appeared to be a semi-transparent plastic bag over the top of the garbage can – and feet and legs sticking out of he can beneath the plastic bag. The officer also saw a pool of blood beneath the garbage can.
Body found in South Milwaukee Pizza Hut dumpster (Feb. 7, 2023)
The complaint states investigators found what appeared to be dried blood that lead from the dumpster to the Pizza Hit. The blood trail continued through a door and into the restaurant's kitchen, leading police to believe the victim – since identified as Stengel – was killed inside the restaurant, put into the wheeled garbage can and left behind the dumpster.
During a check of the victim’s pockets, the complaint states officers determined the victim’s wallet, keys and cellphone appeared to be missing.
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The victim, 55-year-old Alexander Stengel, was a longtime manager at the Pizza Hut – where Ingram also worked. But in regard to motive, court filings said Stengel had just received a $7,000 inheritance check.