Following the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, the case of Chrystul Kizer, has been thrust back into the spotlight.
Kizer was 16 when she first crossed paths with 33-year-old Randy Volar after posting an advertisement on the now-defunct, Backpage.
Volar would go on to sexually abuse Kizer several times. He would further add to her trauma by filming the rapes. She was not the only one. Volar sexually abused several young, Black girls. When Kizer was 17, she killed him in the act of self-defense— shooting him in the head. Kizer then set his house on fire and stole his car in 2018.
Volar had previously been arrested on child sexual assault charges.
Kizer was charged with five felonies, including first-degree intentional homicide. Kizer was released from jail last June after several groups such as the Chicago Community Bond Fund raised money to pay her $400,000 bond. Her bail was lowered from $1 million. She is still awaiting trial and is facing a life sentence.
Rittenhouse killed two men and injured another during the Kenosha riots last year. During his trial, he claimed that he feared for his life and his attorneys argued that the killing was an act of self-defense. Last week, he was acquitted. Rittenhouse had not been subjected to sustained physical and sexual abuse as Kizer was. He was not preyed upon by a perpetual predator—the likes of Volar.
According to The Washington Post, Volar, who is white, has been charged with child enticement, using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime and second-degree sexual assault of a child. He was arrested and released within the same day without requiring bail. The police were well aware of his crimes but freed him anyway.
Court documents state that there are over 20 videos of Volar abusing Black girls.
Still, Rittenhouse has been lauded as a hero, and prosecutors are accusing Kizer, who was a minor when she was assaulted by Volar, of premeditated murder. Her lawyers say it was self-defense.
Speaking to the Post, Kizer says that Kizer said she was sick of him touching her. Volar would not let her leave and hat “she could not leave without being blocked and she believed that Mr. Volar might jump out at her so she shot him.”
“I didn’t intentionally try to do this,” Kizer insisted.
Outside of the court, people not only called for Rittenhouse to be held accountable for the killing but for justice for Kizer. Her case has been likened to that of the recently freed former child victim, Cyntoia Brown.
“Chrystul Kizer was in this building [the Kenosha County Courthouse] advocating for her justice too,” Rep. David Bowen said per The Huffington Post. “And we didn’t hear any of y’all. And we didn’t hear anybody that was out making noises for Kyle Rittenhouse.”
