GUILTY NC - Sandy Reidel, 29, manager, killed in Applebees robbery, 15 June 2009

KaylynnCouture

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Snipped from the article- http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5357747/

Roanoke Rapids, N.C. — The manager of a Roanoke Rapids Applebee's was found Monday morning shot to death inside the restaurant, police said.
Police Chief Jeff Hinton identified the victim as Sandy Denise Reidel, 29, of 438 Jackson St. Hinton said Reidel was in early to open the restaurant.

Another employee found Riedel and called police around 7:40 a.m., Hinton said.

Hinton said there did not appear to be any forced entry into the restaurant. Coworkers said Riedel was a popular, hardworking employee, and that she was last seen alive around 6:30 a.m. by her boyfriend, also a restaurant manger, when he brought her a cup of coffee.
 
Roanoke Rapids NC local newspaper (has a short article in their breaking news section): http://www.rrdailyherald.com/

I just figured I'd post so that anyone interested could keep up with the news from the local website as well.
 
Why would the boyfriend bring her a cup of coffee when she was working at a resturant? She must have started the coffee if she was the opener. Did he drive her to work and pick her up? That just sounded odd to me...the coffee.
 
It does sound odd and I hate to say but after reading about all these crime cases...most likely it was the boyfriend.
 
I worked in resturaunts and the first thing I always did was start up the coffee. I also think it is weird he would bring her coffee. On the other hand I don't like the coffee we have here at the office and always get my own or order some so it could be as simple as maybe she just didn't like Applebee's coffee.......but still sounds like maybe boyfriend thought if he killed her at work it would be perceived as a robbery.
 
Yeah, the boyfriends story sounds odd. Obviously knowing very little of the case, but it just seems weird to bring someone coffee when they work at a restaurant. Especially at 6:30am. Plus, why was she there that early? Having worked in restaruants, unless they serve breakfast, which I don't think applebee's does, why that early? We served lunch and would have an opener there at 9am, maybe even 10 to be open by 11:00 11:30 for lunch. Somethign doesn't seem right, but it's almost so strange that it has to be true. There have to be better lies you could come up with.
 
Why would the boyfriend bring her a cup of coffee when she was working at a resturant? She must have started the coffee if she was the opener. Did he drive her to work and pick her up? That just sounded odd to me...the coffee.

Does sound very odd. He better have a rock-solid alibi.
 
That is a very early time for openers. Even managers that open.

The opening manager usually arrives with or slightly before the morning prep people (kitchen).

It is odd that the BF would bring her coffee but maybe she preferred starbucks?

One other thought, if she entered the building at that time, did she remember to lock the door behind her? Did she leave it unlocked for morning prep people? Did she block it open for some reason? All of those questions are in my mind because I, too, spent the bulk of my adult working years in restaurants and have seen the above done many times over.
 
Yeah, but why shoot her. A robber shouldn't need to unless she could identify them. Seems more like a hit if nothing taken/no assault... what do you think?
 
Was the BF the only man in her life? Did she have problems with an unstable employee in which she was percieved as the person responsible for that employee's termination?

I think that it will more than likely turn out the be the BF, I'm just exploring other options too.
 
Maybe it's possible that the boyfriend brought her a cup of coffee at their apt. or house if they lived together? Since it's being reported that he was "the last one to see her alive" it doesn't say where. Just wondering. It wouldn't seem odd if he brought her coffee at home.
 
A couple of things...

The article says her boyfriend is also a restaurant manager, I took it as he worked theere also. Yes, you would think he would hear a shot but not if he was in a one of the coolers, they are pretty much sound proof. (I hate to immediatly assume the significant other so am giving an alternate theory).

Also, my boyfriend was a manager at a few different Applebees (New York and PA) When he worked in NY he rarely opened but in PA He opened 4-5 day a week. If it was an inventory day (Wed at his restaurant but different depending on the owner) he had to be there at 5am but the other days he had to be there by 6:30. And I worked as a bookkeeper at a TGI Fridays and got there at 7am and there were always other people there before me (cleaners, prep cooks, and at least on manager). So I do not find it odd at all that they would be there that early.

The key holders at the Applebees he last worked at (I'll reference that since he opened there frequently) were all the managers (there were five), the General and district manager, and also 2-3 cooks. So there were at least 9-10 people that I can think of off the top of my head (there could be more plus he got out of the restaurant business a year ago) that had keys.

Oh, and once the opener got there. many times they would either keep the door unlocked or proped open until all the early staff got there because they would be in the kitchen or coolers doing inventory/prep and wouldn't hear someone at the door.

Wow, i rambled lots but thought the info could help.
 
Upon investigation some Applebee's do serve breakfast. The Applebee's in Times Square opens for business at 7am.

However Roanoke Rapids Applebee's does not open until 11am. What in the world was she doing there at 6:30am?

http://www.applebees.com/MenuLanding.aspx?cl=098084
 
Very early for a robbery, unless they use a safe to keep the night's reciepts.
 
Good thought there colette! I wonder if Applebee's has a standard about nightly reciepts being deposited no matter what, or if they do allow them to be stored in safe?
 
Good thought there colette! I wonder if Applebee's has a standard about nightly reciepts being deposited no matter what, or if they do allow them to be stored in safe?

As far as the Applebees that my boyfriend worked at (both NY and PA) the manager at the end of there shift had to count down all drawers and make a deposit and they had to again at the end of the night. The last place he worked was in a mall so it was easy to walk over to the inside bank night deposit but in NY he had to drive to the bank with thousands of dollars in cash to do the deposit at 3am. It scared the out of him. So, from the few locations that I know of they had to do a deposit after closing so the money in the safe in the morning in just the drawers and petty cash.
 
I did a search of the address of the Applebees in question (210 Premier Blvd, Roanoke Rapids, NC‎) and the closest restaurant is at 200 Premier Blvd, Roanoke Rapids, NC‎ (Logan's Roadhouse) that's not close enough to have heard a gunshot IMHO. Especially if both were inside buildings. They might have had the PA music on, etc.
 

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