The woman had sought a restraining order hours before she was fatally shot in front of the former couple’s young son.
ST. FRANCIS, Wis. — A Milwaukee man has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide and stalking after prosecutors accused him of fatally shooting the mother of his child during a custody exchange in a St. Francis apartment parking lot.
Randall Lenyard, 33, is accused of killing 32-year-old Kiana Pliska on July 16 after an argument during the exchange of their 6-year-old son. Court records describe months of alleged stalking, threats and abuse before the shooting. Pliska had filed a petition seeking a temporary restraining order against Lenyard only hours before she was killed.
Police said Pliska was shot multiple times in a parking lot near Lake Drive and Packard Avenue. Their son was present when the shooting occurred, according to the criminal complaint. Prosecutors allege that Lenyard then left with the child and drove away. Pliska died from her injuries.
The complaint says Lenyard called his sister after the shooting and admitted shooting Pliska. He also allegedly threatened to harm the child and himself. His sister contacted 911, prompting police agencies in the Milwaukee area to search for Lenyard and the boy.
Officers later located Lenyard and pursued him into Wauwatosa, where he was arrested that evening. The child was recovered. Authorities have not reported that the boy suffered physical injuries during the shooting or pursuit.
Investigators said Lenyard admitted during a police interview that he killed Pliska and left the scene with their son, according to court filings. Statements attributed to him in the complaint are allegations that have not been tested at trial. Lenyard is presumed innocent unless he is convicted.
Pliska filed the restraining-order petition July 16, accusing Lenyard of tracking her movements and subjecting her to physical and emotional abuse over several months. In the filing, she said he had used an AirTag to monitor her and had confronted her during an earlier custody exchange.
The petition also described an incident one day before the killing in which Pliska alleged that Lenyard came to her home and forced open a door, damaging its hinges and locks. She said the child called 911 during that encounter. “I’m scared of what he is going to do next,” Pliska wrote in the court filing.
Court records show Pliska had sought another temporary restraining order in April. A relative of Lenyard told investigators that family members had encouraged her to seek protection because they were concerned about his conduct. That earlier case was dismissed after Pliska did not attend a scheduled court hearing.
A court commissioner granted Pliska’s latest temporary restraining order on July 17, one day after her death. The order had not been served before the shooting. Prosecutors cited the petitions and other alleged conduct as support for the stalking charge.
Authorities said Lenyard had previously told his mother that he would provoke a fatal confrontation with police if officers tried to arrest him. Police took him into custody after the pursuit without such a confrontation being reported.
Lenyard faces a mandatory life sentence if convicted of first-degree intentional homicide under Wisconsin law. Court proceedings remained pending as investigators and prosecutors continued presenting the allegations surrounding Pliska’s death.
Author note: Last updated July 26, 2026.