Wisconsin Woman Sentenced to 16 Years for Killing Alleged Rapist in High-Profile Case

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Chrystul Kizer, 23, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to the reckless homicide of Randall Phillip Volar, III, a man she alleged had sexually abused her for years. Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge David P. Wilk handed down a sentence of 11 years in prison followed by five years of extended supervision.
Chrystul Kizer, 23, gained widespread attention online after being charged with first-degree murder, arson, theft, and other offenses related to the death of 34-year-old Randall Phillip Volar, III, in 2018. Her case, which has drawn significant advocacy and fundraising efforts from victims' rights supporters, has seen a prolonged and complex legal journey.
This week, Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge David P. Wilk issued a 16-year sentence in a courtroom without video cameras, comprising 11 years in prison followed by five years of extended supervision. In May, Kizer had pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless homicide. This plea deal resulted in a sentence less than half the maximum 25 years allowed for the crime and a much lighter outcome compared to the potential life sentence she could have faced if convicted of murder in a trial.
In July 2022, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Kizer could invoke a law allowing human trafficking victims an affirmative defense for crimes committed as a direct result of their exploitation. This law allows such victims to be acquitted of any offenses directly resulting from the trafficking, regardless of whether anyone was prosecuted or convicted for the underlying crimes.
Kizer’s defense team argued that she killed Volar in response to his prolonged sexual abuse and exploitation.
Kizer was 17 when she shot Volar twice in the head, set his body on fire, and fled in his vehicle. Investigators later discovered that Volar had been under investigation for producing child sexual abuse material and abusing several underage Black girls. His arrest before his death revealed hundreds of videos of child sexual abuse.
Kizer’s bail was initially set at $1 million but was reduced to $400,000 in February 2020. This amount was later covered by The Chrystul Kizer Defense Committee, the Chicago Community Bond Fund, the Milwaukee Freedom Fund, and Survived & Punished. An online petition supporting Kizer, which garnered over 1.5 million signatures, called for the charges to be dropped.
Claudine O’Leary, an independent consultant who works with sexual trafficking survivors and attended the hearing, expressed her disappointment with the sentencing. She has been organizing community resources to support Kizer if released, noting that the Wisconsin prison system lacks adequate resources for survivors of sexual trafficking.
O’Leary also mentioned that she works with many trafficking survivors who already distrust the court system, and she believes Monday’s sentencing will only deepen that mistrust.
“They’re learning from the court system that their lives don’t matter if they defend themselves—they need to be ready to face prison,” she said. “There’s a profound lack of understanding about the real harm people endure.”
During the hearing, Kizer’s defense attorney revealed that Kizer was first trafficked at 16 when she posted an ad on a website later seized by the FBI for prostitution. She used the money she earned to buy food for her siblings. Kizer had previously stated that she didn’t know who would respond to her ad since she was unfamiliar with the site and needed another girl to show her how to use it.
Volar contacted her through this site. At the time they met, he was already under investigation by the Kenosha Police Department for sexual conduct with underage girls as young as 12.
“The court is well aware of your circumstances surrounding your relationship with Mr. Volar,” Judge David Wilk said as he delivered his sentence. “You are not permitted to be the instrument of his reckoning. To hold otherwise is to endorse a descent into lawlessness and chaos.”
Kizer ultimately chose not to go to trial, where she could have faced a potential life sentence. Instead, she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree reckless homicide.
“You entered a guilty plea. That allows you to argue your circumstances warrant mercy, but not that they warrant absolution,” the judge said.
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