Chrystul Kizer, accused of shooting Kenosha man and setting home on fire, pleads not guilty
Chrystul Kizer
MILWAUKEE -- Chrystul Kizer, 17, of Milwaukee, charged in connection with the death of a Kenosha man whose body was found in his burning home -- pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, June 19 -- in court for her preliminary hearing. Her final pre-trial conference is scheduled for Sept. 19.
The victim in this case was identified as Randall Volar III, 34. Prosecutors say Kizer bragged about the crime on Facebook. She's being held on $1 million cash bond, and faces life in prison.
Kizer is accused of shooting Volar and then setting his house on fire on the morning of June 5.
She faces the following criminal charges:
According to the criminal complaint, emergency responders were first called to a home on 14th Avenue around 5:30 a.m. on June 5 for a house fire. Inside, they found Volar deceased -- his body "badly charred" and "unrecognizable."
Fatal fire on 14th Avenue in Kenosha
Chrystul Kizer
When investigators began looking at this case more closely, they determined Volar's vehicle had been taken from the residence. Milwaukee police later recovered it near 6th and Canal in Milwaukee. Inside the vehicle, officers found a receipt indicating a transaction at a Milwaukee area Family Dollar on June 5. Surveillance video showed three individuals, two males and a female juvenile, inside the store. Inside the vehicle, officers also found a cellphone which had photos of the same three people in the store -- who had taken selfies inside the vehicle. Investigators noted the "data tags on these photos were all taken after Mr. Volar's body had already been discovered."
The two males in the surveillance video were later identified by officials. Investigators spoke with one of them who identified the female as Kizer. That same person indicated where Kizer lived -- and noted she had taken an Uber ride from near that location to a location near Volar's home in Kenosha late on June 4.
Fatal fire on 14th Avenue in Kenosha
The complaint says detectives obtained a booking photo of Kizer -- and "it matched a selfie on a Facebook page that was attributed to" Kizer in this investigation. The complaint says "the Facebook page appeared to have a selfie taken in front of a set of black curtains and with other items which (the detective) could identify as items seen at the Volar home when he went there after the fire on June 5."
Chrystul Kizer
Fatal fire on 14th Avenue in Kenosha
Detectives monitored Kizer's Facebook page and noted on June 8, three days after the fire, she "posted a live video on her page in which the she displayed what appeared to be a handgun and pistol ammunition." She made reference to giving her brother the stolen car from Volar's residence -- and stated "she wasn't afraid to kill again." The detective indicated that also on her Facebook page, Kizer had shared an article from FOX6 News about the fire at Volar's home.
Prosecutors say she wrote on Facebook "this is my mugshot." After the crime, prosecutors say Kizer went to her boyfriend's house and "stated that she had shot the white dude."
Chrystul Kizer
Kizer has another open case out of Milwaukee County filed in August of 2017. She's charged with fleeing/eluding an officer. She pleaded guilty on June 4, a day before the fire, and is set for sentencing on June 27.