Chrystul Kizer, Child Sex-Trafficking Victim Who Killed Her Abuser, Sentenced To 11 Years

Kizer will either stay in prison or enter a counseling program for killing her abuser in 2018.

A child sex-trafficking victim will soon learn of her punishment for killing her abuser. Chrystul Kizer’s sentencing in Wisconsin could set a precedent for sexually abused individuals’ treatment in the criminal justice system. She was sentenced to 11 years on August 19th.

Kizer accepted a plea deal for the 2018 fatal shooting of Randall Volar III, eliminating the potential life sentence she might have received for the killing. Volar, a white man, filmed himself sexually abusing multiple Black girls, including Kizer, until his death by the then 17-year-old.

However, state prosecutors claim that Kizer premeditated the murder to steal Volar’s BMW. On the other hand, Kizer has maintained that she acted in self-defense. According to the Washington Post, Kizer faces 30 years in prison on reduced charges of second-degree reckless homicide.

With a new rule enacted in Wisconsin in 2022, Kizer could have shown the jury evidence of what she endured at Volar’s hands in the hopes of a merciful sentencing.

“Wisconsin’s law says that she should not be responsible for crimes committed as a direct result of her sexual exploitation. It doesn’t say ‘except for murder,’” said Diane Rosenfeld, an advocate for Kizer who also founded Harvard Law School’s gender violence program. “The court should take into account the circumstances of her abuse.”

Despite this, Kizer decided to avoid a jury trial that could have ended in a life sentence. Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge David Wilk has determined she will stay incarcerated.

Her defense team has argued that her victimhood should be heavily considered in her punishment. The 24-year-old hopes to apologize to her abuser’s family for his death while also imploring the judge to let her current prison stint be the only one.

“I get to try to move on,” Kizer said in an interview from jail. “I can show the court that I’m not the same person that I was when I was 17.”

Kizer claimed to be unaware of what sex trafficking was when she found the website Backpage as a way to make money for herself while her family experienced homelessness. On the platform, known as a gateway to solicit and buy sex, a 16-year-old Kizer got in contact with Volar. The two began engaging in a sexual relationship, where Volar would pay her in cash, gifts, and drugs.

However, Volar’s actions, with Kizer and other underage Black girls, would attract the attention of authorities. Despite having video evidence of the abuse, law enforcement could not keep him in custody. They cited their reason as an inability to prove the victims as minors.

Kizer, who accused Volar of violent acts against her, decided to take matters into her own hands, killing him in 2018 and lighting his home on fire. As her story garnered national attention, her release from jail in 2020 stemmed from donations fueled by George Floyd’s killing. However, a disorderly conduct charge landed her back behind bars in February.

The case became a national marker for justice on behalf of this Black woman. Now, her supporters await the ruling that can either end in counseling or more prison time for Kizer.