Woman from Wisconsin sentenced to 11 years in prison after claiming self-defense in killing alleged sex trafficker

In Kenosha, Wisconsin, Chrystul Kizer, a woman from Milwaukee, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of reckless homicide. This decision was made by a Kenosha County judge in relation to the 2018 death of Randall Volar, aged 34. Kizer has been granted credit for 570 days served, amounting to about one and a half years.

The judge’s ruling entails that Kizer will serve 11 years of initial confinement followed by 5 years of extended supervision. The Wisconsin State Public Defender’s office stated that she will not be eligible for early release programs and is expected to be released in 2033. Kizer, now 24, entered a plea of guilty to second-degree reckless homicide in order to avoid a potential life sentence.

According to prosecutors, Kizer shot Volar at his Kenosha residence in 2018 when she was 17 years old. Subsequently, she set his house on fire and stole his BMW. Kizer faced multiple charges, including first-degree intentional homicide, arson, car theft, and illegal possession of a firearm.

Kizer claimed that she met Volar on a sex trafficking website and revealed that he had been sexually assaulting her and exploiting her as a prostitute for a year leading up to the incident. She stated that she shot him in self-defense after he attempted to touch her. Her defense argued that under a 2008 state law absolving sex trafficking victims of crimes committed as a result of being trafficked, Kizer should not be held criminally responsible.

While anti-violence groups supported Kizer, asserting that trafficking victims can feel compelled to take matters into their own hands due to feeling trapped, prosecutors contended that legislative protections were not intended to cover homicide. The state Supreme Court’s ruling in 2022 permitted Kizer to raise this defense during her trial.