KENOSHA — People rally for the Kenosha County District Attorney to drop the charges in a murder case making national headlines. They want to see Chrystul Kizer, 19, a woman who said she is a victim of human trafficking to go free.
Dozens of people chanted and marched outside the student center at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Meanwhile, just inside the doors District Attorney Michael Graveley was teaching a class.
“We are gathered here today to hold Graveley accountable for prosecuting her. And we recognize that she should not be put in prison for defending herself against sex trafficking,” said Adelana Akindes, an organizer for Students for a Democratic Society.
Chrystul Kizer was 16 when she met Randy Volar, 33. He is the man she is accused of killing and setting his home on fire.
In a Washington Post article, Chrystul said she had sex with Volar multiple times and he was trafficking her. That she killed him in self-defense.
Volar had been charged with child sex abuse before his death and was out on bail.
Chrystul’s mom Devore Taylor said the district attorney knew what was happening and didn’t act.
“He had evidence about not only Chrystul but a whole bunch of others. It wasn’t just her. And the fact it took for her to do something because she was tired of it. He is trying to sweep the whole problem under the rug but it so much more bigger than her,” said Taylor.
Graveley responded in a Facebook post that Chrystul committed the murder to steal Volar’s car. He wrote, “She texted a friend three days earlier that she was getting a BMW (Volar’s car) soon.”
But Chrystul’s mother says her daughter is the victim.
“My only thing is, is I want my child home and it’s messed up how it happened,” said Taylor.
This case is generating national attention. A Change.org petition has more than 137,000 signatures asking for the charges in Chrystul’s case to be dropped.
She will be in court Thursday morning for a pretrial hearing. She faces life in prison.
