In South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a Pizza Hut employee has been accused of murdering his manager in a cold-blooded quest for financial gain. Authorities have charged 31-year-old Kavonn Ingram with the murder of 55-year-old Alex Stengel, an act allegedly motivated by the theft of the cash from a $7,000 inheritance check.

On the morning of February 5, 2024, Stengel, from Cudahy, Wisconsin, was brutally attacked in the kitchen of Pizza Hut, where both men worked. According to police reports, Ingram, a Milwaukee native, not only shot Stengel but also slashed his throat before concealing the body in a garbage bag. 

The grim aftermath was discovered by a garbage collector two days later, behind the restaurant, where Stengel’s body had been discarded in a dumpster, prompting an investigation that would lead back to the scene of the crime.

Investigations revealed that days before the murder, Stengel cashed the $7,000 check, sharing the news of this windfall with colleagues. This revelation is believed to have set the groundwork for the tragic sequence of events that ensued.

South Milwaukee police traced a blood trail from the dumpster back to the restaurant’s kitchen. This location, according to the criminal complaint, is where Stengel was brutally attacked. Following the murder, Ingram is believed to have wrapped Stengel’s body in the garbage bag, placed it in a trash can, and transported it to the dumpster.

Further investigation uncovered the absence of Stengel’s wallet, keys, and cellphone, suggesting robbery as an additional motive. Surveillance footage captured Ingram moving the garbage can with Stengel’s body to the dumpsters at around 10:30 a.m. on the day of the crime.

Ingram attempted to obscure his involvement by clocking out for Stengel after his death and using Stengel’s phone to send messages to a regional manager. These efforts were insufficient to deter law enforcement. Ingram was apprehended and faces charges of first-degree homicide, concealing a corpse as part of a crime, armed robbery, and illegal firearm possession by a felon. He is being held on a $200,000 cash bond.

The criminal complaint also documents a conversation between Ingram and his girlfriend, wherein Ingram allegedly discussed acquiring Stengel’s money and contemplating his murder. A search of Ingram’s home yielded a loaded gun and Pizza Hut paychecks stained with blood, further linking him to the crime.

Ingram has been ordered not to have contact with anyone working at the Pizza Hut location where the crime was committed. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 23.