Chrystul Kizer was 17-years-old when she killed the man who sexually abused her in 2018. A bail fund charity paid her $400,000 bond on Monday.
Now 19, Kizer walked out of a Wisconsin jail carrying a bag full of letters she’d received from supporters.
Kizer was arrested and charged with the murder of Randall Volar, 34, in Kenosha, Wis. on June 5, 2018.
She is accused of shooting Volar twice in the head, then setting fire to his home. On the day he died, police planned to arrest Volar for child sex trafficking.
Kizer had been awaiting trial on murder charges when she was granted bond. She still faces charges of arson and premeditated homicide which carries a life sentence in prison.
Her case received national attention from supporters and activists who say she acted in self-defense and was a victim of sex trafficking.
Kizer told police that her relationship with Volar involved sexual abuse in addition to money and gifts.
She said he earned money by arranging hookups for her with men in hotel rooms. “He was a grown up and I wasn’t,” she said. “So I listened.”
Police say Volar’s estate was worth $800,000. He made large bank deposits and other activities typical of sex traffickers.
Her case drew comparisons to Cyntoia Brown, who received a life sentence for killing a John when she was a teenage prostitute.
Now 32, Brown was granted clemency in January 2019 after serving 15 years in prison.
Brown voice her support for Kizer last year. She posted a photo of herself wearing a hoodie with the words “Justice 4 Chrystul Kizer” on the front.
