Man Shot to Death by Stranger for Sharing Just 2 Slices of a Pizza, Taking the Rest for Himself

An Illinois man will spend a significant amount of time behind bars after being found guilty of gunning down another man over a dispute about how many pizza slices he was entitled to.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin announced on Friday, October 9, that a jury found Michael Freund guilty of the murder of Dexter Perkins, after shooting him to death at local restaurant Rosie O’Reilly’s in 2023.

According to the announcement, Perkins was eating at the restaurant around 7:20 a.m. on December 22, 2023. At that time, Freund, 49, entered the restaurant with two coworkers after finishing their shift at work. They did not know Perkins, but somehow the men agreed to split a pizza.

When a second pizza arrived, Perkins gave Freund and one of his coworkers a slice and decided to take the rest home for himself. This led to an argument over the leftovers and the bar tab that got increasingly heated, the press release states.

At some point, Freund went to his truck in the parking lot and retrieved a 9mm Glock handgun. The argument spilled out onto the front porch of the restaurant where Perkins and one of Freund’s coworkers got into a physical scuffle. Freund fired two shots from his gun into the air. Despite the warning shots, Perkins approached the man he was fighting with, prompting Freund to fire eight shots into the victim’s chest and one to his face.

Before police arrived and pronounced Perkins dead at the scene, Freund returned the pistol to his truck. He was taken into custody without incident. Now, three years later, after a lengthy court case, Berlin says Perkins’ family is finally getting some semblance of justice.

“Nearly three years ago, just days before Christmas, Dexter Perkins’ life came to an abrupt, violent end when Michael Freund shot him nine times after a dispute over pizza and a bar tab,” Berlin said in a press release. “The senseless killing of an unarmed, innocent man has not only left two young girls fatherless but has also left a hole in the hearts of Dexter’s family and friends that will remain with them throughout their lives. While today’s guilty verdict cannot bring Dexter back to those who loved him, perhaps it will allow for some measure of solace knowing that the man responsible for Dexter’s murder will be held accountable.”

Freund is scheduled for pre-sentence reporting and post-trial motions on November 9.