St. Francis homicide: Man accused of stalking, killing ex-girlfriend
Man accused of stalking, killing ex-girlfriend
A woman was shot and killed in St. Francis hours after she filed paperwork for a restraining order against her ex, who is now accused of killing her.
MILWAUKEE - Last week, Kiana Pliska asked the court for a restraining order against her ex, accusing him of months of stalking and physical and emotional abuse. Hours after she filed the paperwork, she was shot and killed.
Charges filed
In court:
Prosecutors charged her ex, 33-year-old Randall Lenyard, with first-degree intentional homicide and stalking on Tuesday.
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It’s unclear if Lenyard has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. He is expected to appear in court this week on the charges. If convicted on the homicide charge, he faces a mandatory life sentence.
Randall Lenyard
Fatal shooting
The backstory:
Court filings said Lenyard shot Pliska multiple times during an exchange of the child they share. It happened at an apartment complex parking lot near Lake and Packard in St. Francis on July 16. Prosecutors said Lenyard then took the child and drove off. He was arrested later that evening.
In an interview with police, court filings said Lenyard admitted to killing Pliska and driving off with their son.
St. Francis fatal shooting, Packard Avenue and Lake Drive
Restraining order
Dig deeper:
Hours earlier, on July 16, Pliska filed a petition with the court, asking for a temporary restraining order against Lenyard. Pliska said Lenyard had been tracking her movements and physically and emotionally abusing her for months. A commissioner granted the temporary restraining order the following day, but Pliska was dead.
In April, Pliska filed a similar petition asking for a temporary restraining order. A relative of Lenyard told investigators it was at their urging, and that Pliska was like family. However, Lenyard’s relative told police Lenyard had "sucked her back in" and Pliska didn’t show up to court. That petition was dismissed.
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The Source: Information in this story is from the St. Francis Police Department, Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court records.