{"id":108947,"date":"2025-02-15T00:04:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-15T00:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lascrucestoday.com\/newstalklc\/ralph-yarl-shooting-suspect-strikes-deal-pleads-guilty-to-second-degree-assault\/"},"modified":"2025-02-15T00:04:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-15T00:04:00","slug":"ralph-yarl-shooting-suspect-strikes-deal-pleads-guilty-to-second-degree-assault","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lascrucestoday.com\/newstalklc\/ralph-yarl-shooting-suspect-strikes-deal-pleads-guilty-to-second-degree-assault\/","title":{"rendered":"Ralph Yarl shooting suspect strikes deal, pleads guilty to second-degree assault"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
ABC News<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

(MISSOURI) — Andrew Lester, the Kansas City man charged with shooting teenager Ralph Yarl in April 2023 after he knocked on the door of the wrong house, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault charges in a 10-minute Missouri court hearing on Friday.<\/p>\n

The 86-year-old man had been facing charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of then-16-year-old Yarl, a Black honors student who mistakenly showed up at Lester\u2019s door to pick up his twin brothers.<\/p>\n

Second-degree assault, a Class D felony, carries with it the sentencing possibility of one to seven years in prison, Clay County Prosecutor Zach Thompson said at a press conference after Friday’s hearing. The sentencing hearing will happen on March 7, according to Thompson.<\/p>\n

Lester, who is white, shot Yarl in the head and right arm, saying he believed someone was trying to break into his house,\u00a0according to a probable cause statement obtained by ABC News<\/span><\/a>. He initially pleaded not guilty in 2023 and was released on a $200,000 bond.<\/p>\n

“Our office has maintained regular and respectful communication with Mr. Yarl and his family, and they support this resolution,” Thompson said Friday.<\/p>\n

Thompson was told by a reporter at the news conference that Yarl’s family said they were not satisfied with the outcome of the plea deal, and the county prosecutor said he understood the frustration of the family.<\/p>\n

“Based on our communications, both direct and written with Mr. Yarl and his family, we agreed that this would be a just resolution in the case,” Thompson said.<\/p>\n

Yarl survived the attack and has since graduated high school, but suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) after the shooting.\u00a0Yarl\u2019s mother, Cleo Nagbe, previously<\/span><\/a>\u00a0told ABC News that her son has struggled academically in ways he didn\u2019t prior to the injury.<\/p>\n

His family reacted to Friday’s hearing in a statement obtained by ABC News.<\/p>\n

“While this marks a step toward accountability, true justice requires consequences that reflect the severity of his actions — anything less would be a failure to recognize the harm he has caused,” they wrote. “We remain hopeful that his sentencing will not be merely a slap on the wrist but a decision that upholds the seriousness of his crime.”<\/p>\n

Lester\u2019s attorney Steve Salmon previously argued that his client’s\u00a0mental and physical capacity was a factor in the case<\/span><\/a>, postponing the initial trial date from Oct. 7 to Feb. 18. Salmon said the retired air mechanic had heart and memory issues, a broken hip and had lost over 50 pounds. In November, the judge ruled that Lester was fit to stand trial after reviewing the results of a mental exam.<\/p>\n

The Missouri man\u00a0appeared in court in a wheelchair<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on Friday, according to ABC’s Kansas City affiliate KMBC.<\/p>\n

Yarl\u2019s family filed a civil lawsuit against Lester and the Highland Acres homeowners association nearly a year after the shooting occurred,\u00a0claiming little progress has been made<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in the case and the association failed to administer aid after shots were fired.<\/p>\n

ABC News contributor Joanne Haner contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ABC News (MISSOURI) — Andrew Lester, the Kansas City man charged with shooting teenager Ralph Yarl in April 2023 after he knocked on the door of the wrong house, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault charges in a 10-minute Missouri court hearing on Friday. 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