Child sex trafficking victim who murdered abuser gets sentence

Through Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

August 19, 2024

Kizer will either remain in prison or enter a therapy program for the 2018 murder of her abuser.

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A child sex trafficking victim will soon learn her punishment for killing her abuser. The conviction of Chrystul Kizer in Wisconsin could set a precedent for how sexually abused individuals are treated in the criminal justice system. She is expected to be sentenced today.

Kizer accepted a plea deal in the 2018 fatal shooting of Randall Volar III, eliminating the potential life sentence she could have faced for the murder. Volar, a white man, filmed himself sexually abusing multiple black girls, including Kizer, before killing himself at the hands of the then 17-year-old.

However, prosecutors allege that Kizer committed the murder with premeditation in order to steal Volar’s BMW. On the other hand, Kizer has maintained that she acted in self-defense. According to the Washington PostKizer faces up to 30 years in prison on the lesser charge of second-degree manslaughter.

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

“Wisconsin law says she is not responsible for crimes committed as a direct result of her sexual exploitation. It doesn’t say ‘except murder,'” said Diane Rosenfeld, an attorney for Kizer who also founded Harvard Law School’s gender violence program. “The court has to consider the circumstances of her abuse.”

Despite this, Kizer decided to avoid a jury trial that could have resulted in a life sentence. Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge David Wilk will determine whether she remains in prison.

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

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

Kizer claimed to be unaware of sex trafficking when she discovered the website Backpage as a way to make money for herself while her family was homeless. On the platform, known as a gateway to solicit and purchase sex, a 16-year-old Kizer came into contact with Volar. The two began a sexual relationship, during which Volar would pay her in cash, gifts, and drugs.

Volar’s ​​actions with Kizer and other underage black girls would, however, draw the attention of authorities. Despite having video evidence of the abuse, law enforcement was unable to keep him in custody, citing an inability to prove the victims were minors.

Kizer, who accused Volar of violent acts against her, decided to take matters into her own hands, killing him in 2018 and setting his house on fire. As her story gained national attention, her release from prison in 2020 came about thanks to donations fueled by the killing of George Floyd. However, a misdemeanor charge landed her back behind bars in February.

The case became a national landmark for justice on behalf of this black woman. Now her supporters await the verdict, which could lead to counseling or more prison time for Kizer.

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