St. Francis homicide: Domestic violence prevention safety plans
Domestic violence prevention safety plans
Milwaukee County prosecutors accuse a man of killing his ex-girlfriend hours after she filed paperwork for a restraining order against him.
ST. FRANCIS, Wis. - Milwaukee County prosecutors accuse a man of killing his ex-girlfriend hours after she filed paperwork for a restraining order against him. Domestic violence prevention advocates say having a plan when seeking help can save lives.
Charges filed
In court:
Randall Lenyard entered a Milwaukee County courtroom Wednesday to face charges of first-degree intentional homicide and stalking. Family identified the victim as 32-year-old Kiana Pliska.
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The shooting happened outside an apartment near Lake and Packard in St. Francis last week, just a few hours after court records show Pliska had filed restraining order paperwork against Lenyard.
Help for domestic violence victims
What they're saying:
Getting an advocate's help is a crucial step domestic violence prevention advocates say can protect survivors.
"It's one part of the safety plans a survivor needs to be constantly updating and thinking about with the help of an advocate," Carmen Pitre, president and CEO of Sojourner Family Peace Center, said.
Court records show Pliska had reported a number of incidents in the restraining order application – like Lenyard placing an AirTag on her car, showing up to her residence and putting her hands on her.
Kiana Pliska
How does a restraining order work? Pitre said, if a court grants one, it can be in place for anyone from four to 10 years, depending on the situation.
Pitre also said it means the person needs to stay away from the individual filing the order, but it also comes with challenges.
"We have instances where people walk through a restraining order and disregard it and cause harm anyway, and we have had some homicides in my career happen," said Pitre.
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Pitre said Sojourner Family Peace Center has recorded at least 21 homicides related to domestic violence this year alone. It is why they recommend having a safety plan when taking this approach.
"A safety plan really looks at what is happening in your life and what safeguards we can bring to keep you safe," said Pitre.
"We need to build a bridge between isolated people and the services they need. Give them the messages and support that they are not alone."
Domestic violence resources
What you can do:
Awareness and resources all aimed to help save lives. Milwaukee has a number of domestic violence programs available for folks in need on the city's website. Help is also available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline and Sojourner Family Peace Center.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Abril Preciado and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from prosecutors, court records, Carmen Pitre and prior coverage of the case.