Kiana Pliska reported alleged tracking, unwanted visits and physical confrontations before prosecutors say her former partner killed her.
ST. FRANCIS, Wis. — A woman who reported months of alleged stalking and abuse was fatally shot hours after filing for a temporary restraining order against the father of her child, according to Milwaukee County court records.
Kiana M. Pliska, 32, filed the petition July 16 against Randall Alexander Lenyard Sr., 33. Later that day, prosecutors say Lenyard shot Pliska during a custody exchange outside their former apartment complex in St. Francis. He is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and stalking.
The restraining order petition describes several encounters that Pliska said caused her to fear for her safety. She alleged that Lenyard had tracked her movements, repeatedly contacted her and appeared at her residence at unexpected times during the day and night.
Pliska wrote that an AirTag tracking device had been placed on her vehicle in January. She also described a physical confrontation during a custody exchange in February and accused Lenyard of continuing to call her and arrive at her home without permission.
The petition included an alleged break-in one day before the shooting. Pliska wrote that Lenyard came to her home July 15 and kicked in the door, breaking its hinges and locks. The former couple’s 6-year-old son called 911 during the incident, she said.
“I’m scared of what he is going to do next,” Pliska wrote in the filing. The statement was made before she met Lenyard the following evening to exchange custody of their son at an apartment complex near Lake Drive and South Packard Avenue.
According to the criminal complaint, the two began arguing during the exchange. Investigators said Lenyard shot Pliska multiple times and then left in a vehicle with their son. Officers found Pliska outside the apartment complex after receiving several 911 calls at about 6:29 p.m. She died after being taken to a hospital.
The complaint says Lenyard contacted his sister and admitted shooting Pliska. He also made statements indicating that the child and Lenyard himself could be in danger, according to investigators. His sister alerted police and arranged to meet him at a Milwaukee pharmacy, where the boy was turned over safely.
Police later arrested Lenyard in Wauwatosa. Court filings say he admitted during an interview that he shot Pliska following an argument. His reported statements and the other allegations in the complaint remain subject to review in court.
Pliska had previously requested a temporary restraining order in April, court records show. A relative of Lenyard told investigators that family members had encouraged Pliska to seek protection, but she did not attend the later court proceeding and the case was dismissed. A commissioner granted her second temporary restraining order July 17, after her death.
Lenyard appeared in Milwaukee County court Wednesday on the homicide and stalking charges. A preliminary hearing is set for July 29. He is presumed innocent unless proved guilty, and publicly available reports did not identify an attorney authorized to comment on his behalf.
Author note: Last updated July 23, 2026.