Chrystul Kizer, a Milwaukee woman who admitted to killing a man she accused of s*x trafficking and raping her when she was 17, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. The sentence, handed down on Monday, August 19, 2024, includes an additional five years of extended supervision, told People.
Kizer, now 24, pleaded guilty in May to second-degree reckless homicide in the 2018 death of 34-year-old Randall Volar III. At the time of his death, Volar was under investigation for s*xually abusing and trafficking underage girls. Kizer’s case has attracted significant attention and sparked a national debate over how the criminal justice system treats s*x trafficking victims.
Supporters and trafficking survivors had called for the charges against Kizer to be dropped, arguing that she acted in self-defense after enduring years of abuse at the hands of Volar. However, despite the widespread outcry, the court proceeded with sentencing, a move that highlights the challenges trafficking victims face within the legal system.
By accepting a plea deal, Kizer avoided a trial that could have resulted in a life sentence. The plea agreement followed extensive legal negotiations as Kizer’s defense team worked to reduce the charges by emphasizing the abuse she suffered.
During the sentencing, the judge acknowledged the complexities of Kizer’s relationship with Volar but emphasized that her actions could not be legally justified. “The court is well aware of your circumstances surrounding your relationship with Mr. Volar,” the judge stated, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “You are not permitted to be the instrument of his reckoning. To hold otherwise is to endorse a descent into lawlessness and chaos.”
The details of Kizer’s relationship with Volar reveal a disturbing narrative. Prosecutors claimed that Volar first contacted Kizer online when she was a teenager and paid her for s*x. The defense, however, depicted Volar as a predator who systematically exploited and abused Kizer, as well as other underage girls. According to Kizer’s lawyers, Volar had repeatedly raped and filmed her, leading to the fatal confrontation.
On June 9, 2018, Kizer was arrested for Volar’s murder, which occurred after she shot him twice in the head and set his Kenosha, Wisconsin home on fire. Kizer claimed she killed Volar after he pinned her to the floor when she refused to have s*x with him. Following the murder, Kizer posted a selfie on social media with the caption “My Mug Shot,” a detail the prosecution emphasized during the trial. She also allegedly stole Volar’s BMW, further complicating her defense.
Kizer’s attorneys attempted to use a 2008 Wisconsin state law designed to protect s*x trafficking victims from prosecution for crimes committed as a direct result of their exploitation. They argued that this law should have provided Kizer with immunity. However, the prosecution contested this interpretation, asserting that Volar was a customer rather than an active participant in trafficking.
Kizer is scheduled for a restitution hearing on November 8, during which the court will determine the amount she must pay to Volar’s family.