Zachary Thompson, Clay County’s Prosecuting attorney, announced that Andrew Lester died in prison while awaiting his sentencing. Lester had pleaded guilty to shooting Ralph Yarl and pled guilty to felony second-degree assault.
Thompson stated, “We are saddened to learn of Andrew Lester’s passing and wish his family all the best during this difficult period. While the legal proceedings are now over, we recognize that Mr. Lester took responsibility for his actions when he pleaded guilty in this case. We continue to send our thoughts and prayers to both families who were affected by the tragic incident.”
Lester, an 86-year-old man, was scheduled to stand trial this week after shooting Yarl, who was a Black teenager mistakenly knocking on his door. But before the trial began, Lester entered into a guilty plea for felony second-degree assault on Friday.
The case was scheduled to be heard on March 7th.
Thompson, at the press conference following Friday’s hearing, said that second-degree assault is a Class D felon and carries a possible sentence of up to 7 years in prison.
Lester was originally charged with one count of felony assault of the first degree and one count of armed criminal act, which is also a felon, for the shooting of Yarl. Yarl had mistakenly gone to Lester’s Kansas City residence after arriving at the incorrect address to pick up the twin brothers from their play date on the 13th of April 2023.
Lester, a white man, shot Yarl twice in the right arm and head, claiming that he thought someone was breaking into his home. In 2023, he initially denied the charges and was released with a $200,000 bail.
Yarl, who was 16 years old at the time, suffered a traumatic injury to the brain.
Yarl family’s statement on Wednesday that “justice is never truly served.”
Yarl’s family stated that “the news of Andrew Lester’s death brings a mixture of emotions but does not bring justice.”
“We are committed to a world in which no child is threatened with death because of his or her race and no family suffers the same fate as ours. Ralph’s story and our fight for justice are far from being over,” the family said.
Lester’s family has previously stated that they are not pleased with the plea bargain that Lester accepted.
“About two years ago, we knew Mr. Lester was guilty,” Yarl’s mother Cleo Nagbe told Davis on Friday. “We let him do what he wanted to do and waited two years after for him to show up and say, ‘I’m going to plead guilty to the lesser of the charges.’ So we’re sick of this. So let’s just move on and give this kid a chance to move on with his life and live on as a regular kid.”
Steve Salmon, Lester’s lawyer, argued previously that Lester’s mental and physical capacity was a major factor in the case. He therefore postponed the first trial from Oct. 7 to Feb. 18, 2020. Salmon claimed that the retired air technician had memory and heart issues, as well as a broken hip. He also said he had lost more than 50 pounds.
After reviewing the results from a mental examination, the judge decided in November that Lester could stand trial.
Yarl spoke about his shooting experience in an exclusive interview in July 2023 with Robin Roberts, co-anchor of “Good Morning America”. He reflected on the ordeal and his recovery.
“He points [the gun] at me … so I kinda, like, brace, and I turn my head,” Yarl told Roberts. “Then it happened. And then I’m on the ground … and then I fall on the glass. The shattered glass. And then before I know it I’m running away shouting, ‘Help me, help me.'”
