Milwaukee woman jailed for 11 years for killing her abuser

A woman from Milwaukee named Chrystul Kizer has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for killing a man who had abused her. This man, Randall Volar, was accused of sex trafficking Kizer when she was a teenager. The sentence was handed down on Monday, marking the end of a lengthy legal battle for Kizer, who is now 24 years old. Throughout her trial, Kizer argued that she should not be held responsible for her actions. She was charged with reckless homicide for shooting Volar in 2018 when she was just 17 years old. Earlier this year, Kizer accepted a plea deal to avoid the possibility of a life sentence. Volar had been filming his sexual abuse of Kizer for over a year before he was killed. Kizer stated that she met Volar when she was 16, and he would give her money and gifts while also abusing her. He was also known to sell her to other men for sex. An investigation by the Washington Post revealed that authorities had evidence, including video footage, showing that Volar was abusing around a dozen girls, including Kizer, all of whom appeared to be underage. Just four months before Volar's death, he was arrested by the police on charges of sexual assault but was released the same day. According to police reports, Kizer traveled from Milwaukee to Volar's home in Kenosha in June 2018, armed with a gun. She shot him twice in the head, set his house on fire, and took his car. Prosecutors claimed that the killing was premeditated and part of a plan to steal Kizer's car. However, Kizer's lawyers argued that she acted in self-defense. Kizer's case raised important questions about the legal protections available to victims of sex trafficking. Some states have enacted laws known as 'affirmative defense' provisions, which protect victims from certain charges, such as prostitution or theft, if those actions were a result of being trafficked. Kizer's case tested whether an affirmative defense for trafficking victims could be applied in a homicide case. In 2022, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in her favor, allowing her to present evidence of her abuse at the time of the crime. The case garnered significant attention and support from activists within the #MeToo movement. Ultimately, Kizer chose to accept a plea deal to avoid the risk of a life sentence at trial. In an interview from jail this year, Kizer expressed her desire to move on, stating, 'I get to try to move on. ' She has already served more than a year and a half of her sentence and will face five years of extended supervision after her release.