The opinion of the court was delivered by Randy D. Pioletti appeals his jury trial convictions of
aggravated kidnapping (K.S.A. 21-3421) and first-degree murder
(K.S.A. 21-3401). The facts of this bizarre homicide may be summarized as
follows. Karen Baile and Randy D. Pioletti were married in
December 1984. A daughter, Rhyannon, was born in May of 1985. The
marriage ended in a December 1987 divorce. Custody of Rhyannon
was a bitter ongoing problem between her parents. In the fall of
1987, Randy told a friend, Mary Kessinger, he knew how to
permanently resolve the problem. He stated he could "grab" Karen,
put her in his van, take her to the mortuary where he worked, and
cremate her. He made similar statements to other people. He also
stated that if he did this, he wanted Karen to feel it.
