The Milwaukee resident accused of killing his coworker at Pizza Hut in South Milwaukee has pleaded guilty.
Kavonn Ingram, 31, pleaded guilty on Aug. 19 to charges of first-degree manslaughter and possession of a weapons offense as a convicted felon, online court records show.
Two other felony charges – concealing a corpse and armed robbery with use of force – were dismissed but were included in a plea agreement.
Ingram’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 4.
The South Milwaukee Pizza Hut, 124 N. Chicago Ave., has been closed since the body of 55-year-old manager Alex Stengel was found in a dumpster on the premises on Feb. 7.
Police arrested Ingram, an employee of the pizzeria, on Feb. 11 at another Pizza Hut location in Milwaukee. He initially pleaded not guilty, online court records show.
Stengel’s body was found with gunshot and stab wounds, the complaint said. Police found a blood trail from the dumpster on the property to a door in the Pizza Hut building that led to the kitchen.
Officials believe Stengel was killed in the kitchen, stuffed into a garbage can and driven outside to the dumpster area, the complaint said. Surveillance footage from the Taco Bell next door showed someone dressed in black struggling to get a Pizza Hut garbage can into the dumpsters.
Authorities believe Ingram removed Stengel from the clock-in system after the murder. Police also say he used Stengel’s phone to contact the restaurant’s general manager to explain Stengel’s absence.
The complaint states that Pizza Hut’s regional manager told authorities that Stengel recently cashed an inheritance check for $7,000 and showed coworkers — including Ingram — the large roll of cash.
More: South Milwaukee Pizza Hut, closed since manager found dead, reopens in Cudahy
Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadlinerand follow him on X @Redheadliner.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee man pleads guilty in murder of Pizza Hut in South Milwaukee
