The case of Chrystul Kizer, a Milwaukee woman who was jailed for killing the man prosecutors said had sex trafficked her as a teenager, has finally come to a resolution after a six-year legal battle. Kizer, now 24, was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Monday for the shooting death of Randall Volar, 34, in 2018 when she was 17.
Volar had been filming his sexual abuse of Kizer for over a year before she took matters into her own hands. Kizer had argued that she should be immune from prosecution, citing the abuse she suffered at the hands of Volar. She accepted a plea deal earlier this year to avoid a potential life sentence.
The case shed light on the leniency granted to victims of sex trafficking, with some states implementing laws to protect victims from certain charges if their actions were a result of being trafficked. Kizer’s case tested whether an “affirmative defense” for trafficking victims could be used for homicide, and in 2022, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in her favor.
Despite the ruling, Kizer ultimately chose to accept the plea deal to avoid the risk of a life sentence at trial. She has already served more than a year and a half of her sentence and will face five years of extended supervision upon her eventual release.
The case garnered widespread attention and support from activists in the #MeToo movement, highlighting the complexities and challenges faced by victims of sex trafficking. Kizer expressed relief at being able to “try to move on” in an interview from jail this year.
