Wisconsin woman sentenced to 11 years after pleading guilty in sex exploiter’s death

KENOSHA, WI, United States — A Milwaukee woman has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after accepting a plea deal on a lesser charge of manslaughter in connection with the 2018 death of a Kenosha man.

The Kenosha County Court handed down the sentence to Chrystul Kizer, which also includes five years of extended supervision, representing the 570 days she has already spent in custody. Kizer, who was charged with second-degree manslaughter, avoided a potential life sentence with her guilty plea.

At age 17, Kizer was accused of fatally shooting Randall Volar in his Kenosha home and then setting the house on fire before fleeing in her BMW. Initially charged with first-degree intentional homicide, arson and grand theft auto, among others, Kizer’s guilty plea significantly reduced her potential prison time.

Kizer, now 24, previously revealed that she met Volar through a notorious sex trafficking website. She claimed that Volar abused her and forced her into prostitution for a year, until her death. During the investigation, she told detectives that there had been an express intent to harm her.

Her defense argued that under a 2008 state law, victims of sexual exploitation should not be held criminally liable for actions that directly result from their exploitation. That argument is supported by similar laws in most states over the past decade that offer some legal protections to victims of such crimes.

However, courts have ruled that the legislative intent of these protections did not extend to murder. Advocacy groups that support anti-violence measures have rallied behind Kizer, presenting legal arguments that exploited victims often feel trapped and constrained by their circumstances. The state Supreme Court, in a 2022 ruling, allowed Kizer to plead self-defense at her trial.

Requests for comment from Kizer’s legal representatives did not immediately receive a response.

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