741
submitted 2 months ago by Stopthatgirl7@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

A Milwaukee woman has been jailed for 11 years for killing the man that prosecutors said had sex trafficked her as a teenager. 

The sentence, issued on Monday, ends a six-year legal battle for Chrystul Kizer, now 24, who had argued she should be immune from prosecution. 

Kizer was charged with reckless homicide for shooting Randall Volar, 34, in 2018 when she was 17. She accepted a plea deal earlier this year to avoid a life sentence.

Volar had been filming his sexual abuse of Kizer for more than a year before he was killed.

Kizer said she met Volar when she was 16, and that the man sexually assaulted her while giving her cash and gifts. She said he also made money by selling her to other men for sex.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] dotdi@lemmy.world 308 points 2 months ago

I am outraged, a plea deal to avoid life imprisonment? What the fuck did I just read?!

This guy trafficked, raped and tortured her, and other underage women. Police did jack shit. And she was supposed to be watching him just walk away? Grotesque.

[-] Rhaedas@fedia.io 231 points 2 months ago

Any jailtime is ridiculous. She's been in prison for 8 years. The judge had a chance to try and rebuild her life, but they gave her punishment for getting trapped in a bad situation. What's the issue, does the judge think she's going to go out and start shooting other rapists and traffickers?

[-] RestlessNotions@lemmy.world 123 points 2 months ago

If this was how my cards were dealt, I would likely make it my life's mission.

This country certainly goes all in for cruel and unusual punishment.

load more comments (11 replies)
[-] ShareMySims@sh.itjust.works 55 points 2 months ago

What’s the issue, does the judge think she’s going to go out and start shooting other rapists and traffickers?

The issue is that the patriarchy must uphold rape culture, and that the absence of justice for rape survivors is a feature of that, not a bug, and the courts can't have that power taken away from them.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (21 replies)
[-] RestrictedAccount@lemmy.world 26 points 2 months ago

Who is the f’ing prosecutor?

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[-] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 133 points 2 months ago

This lady needs to be pardoned or it's the origin story for a villain who has an understandable grudge against the justice system.

[-] APassenger@lemmy.world 71 points 2 months ago

If I was on the jury, I'd nullify.

[-] Podunk@lemmy.world 38 points 2 months ago

And they have processes in place to make sure you wouldnt be on that jury.

Vocal knowledge of jury nullification is grounds for dismissal.

Prior intent to nullify is basically perjury. Now you are both in jail

See, the system works! /s

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Samvega 20 points 2 months ago

Here's a related headline. Haven't read it yet:

‘I just wanted peace’: my 35-year fight to bring my abusive father to justice
Carol Higgins was 15 when she first reported her father’s abuse to the police. They told her he wouldn’t be charged. But she refused to let it rest until he finally stood trial

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/aug/20/carol-higgins-father-abuse-how-we-survive

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] DmMacniel@feddit.org 125 points 2 months ago

her sentence absolutely should have been reduced further as that asshole not just raped but trafficked her, this is only fair for her to delete his ass.

The sentence that ass would have got would never ever bring her any justice.

[-] AshMan85@lemmy.world 108 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

His sentence might have been shorter then hers. The justice system is a joke.

[-] MagicShel@programming.dev 64 points 2 months ago

He was white. How much could one jail sentence be? 10 years?

[-] acetanilide@lemmy.world 35 points 2 months ago

If they even would have charged him. They took my abuser to dinner instead.

[-] MagicShel@programming.dev 24 points 2 months ago

I hear you. My wife was put through the wringer (to put it mildly) so I understand. None of them ever experienced justice. I had an old girlfriend who was abused by her stepdad. No justice. That was all almost 40+ years ago. I hope we're doing better as a society now, but we still have a long ways to go.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Samvega 43 points 2 months ago

The sentence that ass would have got would never ever bring her any justice.

Yes. If sex-trafficking rapists could get life sentences, that would be great.

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] Samvega 95 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

My mother was abused by her father. No one helped. Her own siblings, also abused, blamed her when she spoke out about it. She was then abused by my father. When the police came round after physical violence, they laughed at her.

I find myself not really expecting moral behaviour from humans as a group. That women must endure worse punishment for killing their abusers than their abusers would have received is unpleasant.

[-] Chocrates@lemmy.world 46 points 2 months ago

I'm just a flyby idiot on Lemmy, but I am blown away that she was charged. The one article I read didn't go into a ton of details on th actual shooting, but she was raped and trafficked and shot her abuser. Did the DA pursue it because she is black?

[-] L0rdMathias@sh.itjust.works 33 points 2 months ago

She traveled from Milwaukee to Kenosha of her own volition with intent to kill, shot him twice, burned his house down, and stole a car.

Going to someone's place uninvited with intent to kill that person is premeditated murder. Burning down a house is extremely reckless, others could've been easily caught up or injured in this rampage. Not to mention that the house fire likely destroyed a lot of potential evidence. Other victims might have more difficulty finding their own justice as a result, or worse if he had any accomplices their collaboration could be harder to prove.

Cool motive. Very understandable motive even. Still murder. Vigilante justice is no justice.

load more comments (7 replies)
load more comments (11 replies)
[-] MrQuallzin@lemmy.world 85 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

To preface, I am not defending the police or the piece of shit abuser. This was handled extraordinarily horrendously. Police even knew about the guy's crimes and let him off without a slap on the wrist.

The basis of my thoughts comes from this paragraph in the article:

Police said that Kizer travelled from Milwaukee to Volar's home in Kenosha in June 2018 armed with a gun. She shot him twice in the head, set his house on fire and took his car.

I don't know any info beyond what the article gives, but it sounds like at that point she wasn't being held captive and murdered to get away from her abuser. She actively plotted and had the freedom to travel and kill him. Unless there's something I'm missing, I don't think I could consider this as actively being self defense.

[-] EnderWiggin@lemmy.world 36 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

That's essentially what happened here. She wasn't at risk any longer and the murder was premeditated. The prosecutor did their job here as they are supposed to, and it was sentenced as it should have been according to the law.

That being said, this is really why we have pardons, and I hope one is granted in this case.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Evotech@lemmy.world 27 points 2 months ago

If it was a movie she would be the protagonist at least

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] JovialMicrobial@lemm.ee 26 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Trauma is a hell of a thing to deal with. Feeling unsafe as long as a person's abuser walks freely, even if they are far away, is VERY common. I'd imagine if it was someone who was repeatedly abused that'd magnify the trauma response.

Not saying she didn't murder that guy, but knowledge about the psychological effects of sexual abuse does give context to her actions. If she was feeling tortured by this unsafe feeling, like he could come back at anytime to hurt her again, and almost obesessing over it(trauma can do this to anyone) I can see why she did what she did.

It's not like mental health care and support is widely available to people here in the US. Shit is expensive, and that's if your insurance covers it...if you even have insurance. Add in trying to find someone who specializes in trauma care and it can get really overwhelming and discouraging. People give up on seeking help and spiral.

A lot of things could've prevented this. Things like easy access to mental health support, or I dunno...actually putting rapists in jail where they can't hurt more people.

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] Facebones@reddthat.com 81 points 2 months ago

Dude would have gotten like two years for his SA but defend yourself from SA and its over a decade.

For all the lip service America pays to pedos being bad, its shown VERY consistently its real opinions on the matter.

[-] Allonzee@lemmy.world 43 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

We literally have child marriage in some states.

Please, tell people. We deserve to be shamed and judged for the gold plated shithole we are.

Also, we are extremely weird, backwards, and prudish about healthy adult expressions of sexuality due to our puritcanical roots, so we don't even have any good to go with the bad. We're a garbage place with a garbage culture all the way down.

load more comments (5 replies)
[-] pyre@lemmy.world 72 points 2 months ago

i don't understand how incredulous people are in the comments. is this your first time hearing any news? he was white.

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Pacattack57@lemmy.world 71 points 2 months ago

This is a failure on her attorney to make a good case. There is no way a normal person votes to convict here. There has to be something we’re missing as to why they agreed to a guilty charge.

[-] bitflag@lemmy.world 70 points 2 months ago

She actively plotted and traveled to get revenge and clearly didn't act in self defense. While it's easy to be sympathetic to her story, her guilt seems difficult to deny.

[-] FelixCress@lemmy.world 61 points 2 months ago

This:

Police said that Kizer travelled from Milwaukee to Volar's home in Kenosha in June 2018 armed with a gun. She shot him twice in the head, set his house on fire and took his car.

Whatever we think about this guy, it still was a murder.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc 31 points 2 months ago

She accepted a plea deal. No trial no jury.

load more comments (6 replies)
load more comments (5 replies)
[-] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 69 points 2 months ago

Regardless of your opinion on vigilante justice, can we all agree that this is what gubernatorial pardons should actually exist for?

[-] jonne@infosec.pub 22 points 2 months ago

If I was an AG this shit would've never gone to trial. Jesus Christ.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[-] RangerJosie@lemmy.world 65 points 2 months ago

Alright kids.

There's this wonderful thing called "Jury Nullification"

That means if 1 juror refuses to convict then there is no conviction.

It is your privilege, right, and I daresay even duty to use this helpful tool when you deem it necessary. If you're called for Jury Duty on a case. Let's say non violent drug case. I don't believe nonviolent drug offenses should be against the law at all except in the case of something really bad like Fentanyl. So if I was called I would refuse to convict if the defendant was there for let's say Mary Jane.

But don't ever say those words. Don't allude to it. Don't discuss it with your fellow jurors. Don't Google it after you've been called. It's your secret. But it's a secret everyone should know if you get my meaning.

Now go forth and make the world a better place.

[-] Nomecks@lemmy.ca 35 points 2 months ago

She took a plea deal. No jury.

load more comments (29 replies)
[-] ShareMySims@sh.itjust.works 47 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I can't find the statistic right now, but it's something like over 2/3 of women in US prisons (and likely elsewhere) are there for killing or otherwise harming the man who was abusing, raping, and or trafficking them.

Meanwhile a large majority of abusers rapists and traffickers walk away from their crimes scot free.

The purpose of a system is what it does.

[-] MehBlah@lemmy.world 38 points 2 months ago

On the one hand the guy was a scumbag. On the other she was away from him and sought him out to end him. One of the hardest things to accept in life is that your abusers often wont ever face any consequences for what they have done to you. Often you are punished for seeking it out and when someone does something like this it just gives the powers that be incentive to make a example out of you. After all many of them are similarly guilty and fear the same fate.

[-] FabledAepitaph@lemmy.world 33 points 2 months ago

I think anybody who is sex trafficked for a year should legally get a freebie. Anybody who is willing to abuse or sex traffic another human being should just be at peace with the possibility of being ended by their victims. Good thing I don't make the laws, I guess?

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Jarix@lemmy.world 36 points 2 months ago

Ide like to see Kamala start by pardoning this. Never going to happen but what a message it would send

[-] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 49 points 2 months ago

State crime not federal. The Governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, would be the one to pardon her.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] skozzii@lemmy.ca 28 points 2 months ago

It should be legal to kill any person who traffics you.

[-] NastyNative@mander.xyz 27 points 2 months ago

If he was convicted of raping her what would he get 7 months slap on the wrist? … we need change in this legal system cause its backwards designed that way.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] lennybird@lemmy.world 27 points 2 months ago

Now the only thing to do is make the best of the circumstances. Thankfully she avoided a life sentence.

  • Spend your time in prison reading everything you can get your hands on, Edmond Dantes-style.
  • Earn your law degree or something else essentially before you leave prison.
  • Write an autobiographical book; publish.
  • Profit.
[-] Freefall@lemmy.world 21 points 2 months ago

Good kill. Still murder. She is not a threat to society though...so...11years hardly-enforced house arrest might be more fitting.

load more comments (6 replies)
[-] Fades@lemmy.world 21 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

That poor girl, this world is so disgustingly unfair.

Now with that said, it is not your place to obtain whatever you may think is "justice". We have no need or want for vigilantism, all that creates is more opportunities for mistakes to happen and innocents hurt.

load more comments (13 replies)
[-] HoustonHenry@lemmy.world 20 points 2 months ago
load more comments (10 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2024
741 points (100.0% liked)

News

23232 readers
2960 users here now

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil


Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.


Obvious right or left wing sources will be removed at the mods discretion. We have an actively updated blocklist, which you can see here: https://lemmy.world/post/2246130 if you feel like any website is missing, contact the mods. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted seperately but not to the post body.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.


Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source.


Posts which titles don’t match the source won’t be removed, but the autoMod will notify you, and if your title misrepresents the original article, the post will be deleted. If the site changed their headline, the bot might still contact you, just ignore it, we won’t delete your post.


5. Only recent news is allowed.


Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.


No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials or celebrity gossip is allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis.


7. No duplicate posts.


If a source you used was already posted by someone else, the autoMod will leave a message. Please remove your post if the autoMod is correct. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.


Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners.


The auto mod will contact you if a link shortener is detected, please delete your post if they are right.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body


For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS