MERRILLVILLE | Ronnie Rice admitted he beat to death with a chair his manager at a Merrillville fast-food restaurant earlier this week and then fled the store with about $6,000, police said Wednesday.
Rice, 26, was charged in Lake County Criminal Court on Wednesday with murder and murder in the perpetration of a robbery in the slaying of Maxine Urbanczyk, 61. The Merrillville man faces a maximum of 65 years in prison if convicted.
The prosecutor's office will continue to review the case, and Rice could face a stiffer penalty -- including death -- if he is charged with and convicted of more serious charges, prosecutor's spokeswoman Diane Poulton said.
Rice was an assistant manager at KFC on U.S. 30 near Taft Street when the slaying occurred, police said. He worked at the business for about a year, police said.
Rice told Merrillville Cmdr. Ken Croft, of the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, he became enraged while attacking Urbanczyk and wasn't sure how many times he hit her with the chair, court records state.
The Lake County coroner's office reported that Urbanczyk suffered from multiple blunt force blows to the head.
Merrillville police Detective Joe Cooper said video from KFC shows Urbanczyk let Rice into the business through the back door on the morning of the slaying.
Police said Rice then used Urbanczyk's key and code to open the restaurant's safe. Police said the victim probably was comfortable with Rice and voluntarily gave him the key and code before she was attacked.
Merrillville Detective Jeff Snemis said police believe Rice attacked and killed Urbanczyk to cover up the robbery.
Security video obtained from other nearby businesses showed Rice headed west from the KFC, crossed Taft Street and hid the stolen money in a recycling bin behind USA Muffler on U.S. 30, police said.
Snemis said Rice planned to return to the location later to pick up the money, and police recovered it Tuesday.
Police said even though Rice attempted to hide his face from KFC cameras, they were able to link him to the crime because of a distinctive sweat shirt he wore during the incident. Snemis said other KFC employees saw Rice wearing the sweat shirt in the past.
Cooper said he doesn't know if Rice ever expected he would get away with the crimes.
"There were too many loose ends," Cooper said.
