A Wisconsin resident, Kavonn Ingram, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the murder of his Pizza Hut manager, Alexander Stengel, whose body was discovered in a bag behind the restaurant. Ingram, who pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless homicide in August, claimed self-defense during his sentencing on Friday.
Ingram stated that he was acting in self-defense following an altercation at the restaurant. He admitted to his actions following the incident but insisted that he was initially attacked, leading him to act in “survival mode.” However, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Michelle Havas dismissed his claims, stating that she did not believe his version of events.
Judge Havas expressed her disbelief in Ingram’s self-defense claim, stating that she saw the incident as a “cold-blooded execution” of a man who had worked for Pizza Hut for 33 years. She highlighted the victim’s long-term service in a low-wage job, suggesting that the murder was not a result of self-defense but a calculated act.
The events leading to the murder began on February 3, when Stengel showed his colleagues, including Ingram, a large sum of money, part of a $7,000 inheritance. Two days later, Ingram shot Stengel in the head in the restaurant’s kitchen, placed his body in two garbage bags, and disposed of it in a dumpster behind the restaurant.
Ingram attempted to cover up his crime by cleaning the murder scene and using Stengel’s phone to send a message to Stengel’s regional manager, stating that Stengel was unwell and leaving work early. He then clocked Stengel out of work and took a bus home.
The crime was discovered two days later when a garbage truck driver reported a suspicious-looking garbage can to the police. Upon investigation, the police found Stengel’s body wrapped in a plastic bag in the garbage can. A trail of dried blood led from the body to the back door of the restaurant. Inside the restaurant, officers found a section of the kitchen floor unusually clean and signs of blood in the closet.