{"id":108973,"date":"2025-02-20T00:03:37","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T00:03:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lascrucestoday.com\/newstalklc\/andrew-lester-dies-while-awaiting-sentencing-after-pleading-guilty-in-shooting-of-teen-ralph-yarl\/"},"modified":"2025-02-20T00:03:37","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T00:03:37","slug":"andrew-lester-dies-while-awaiting-sentencing-after-pleading-guilty-in-shooting-of-teen-ralph-yarl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lascrucestoday.com\/newstalklc\/andrew-lester-dies-while-awaiting-sentencing-after-pleading-guilty-in-shooting-of-teen-ralph-yarl\/","title":{"rendered":"Andrew Lester dies while awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in shooting of teen Ralph Yarl"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
ABC News<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

(KANSAS) — Andrew Lester, the Kansas City man who\u00a0pleaded guilty to felony assault in the second degree<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for the shooting of Ralph Yarl, has died while awaiting sentencing, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson announced on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

“We have learned of the passing of Andrew Lester and extend our sincere condolences to his family during this difficult time,” Thompson said. “While the legal proceedings have now concluded, we acknowledge that Mr. Lester did take responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty in this case. Our thoughts remain with both families affected by this tragic incident as they continue their healing process.”<\/p>\n

Lester, 86, was set to go on trial this week for shooting Yarl, a Black teenager who mistakenly knocked on his door, but ahead of the trial, Lester entered a guilty plea on Friday for felony assault in the second degree.<\/p>\n

He was expected to be sentenced in this case during a hearing on March 7.<\/p>\n

Second-degree assault, a Class D felony, carries with it the sentencing possibility of up to seven years in prison, Thompson said at a press conference after Friday’s hearing.<\/p>\n

Lester was initially charged with one count of felony assault in the first-degree and one count of armed criminal action, also a felony, in the shooting of Yarl, who mistakenly went to Lester’s Kansas City home after arriving at the wrong address to pick up his twin brothers from a play date on April 13, 2023.<\/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<\/span><\/a>\u00a0obtained by ABC News. He initially pleaded not guilty in 2023 and was released on a $200,000 bond.<\/p>\n

Yarl was 16 at the time of the shooting and suffered a traumatic brain injury, according to his family.<\/p>\n

Yarl’s family told ABC News in a statement Wednesday that “justice was never truly served.”<\/p>\n

“The news of Andrew Lester\u2019s passing brings a mix of emotions, but it does not bring justice,” Yarl’s family said.<\/p>\n

“We remain committed to seeking a world where no child fears for their life because of their race, and no family has to endure what we have. Ralph\u2019s story is far from over, and neither is our fight for justice,” the family added.<\/p>\n

Yarl’s family previously told ABC News Live Prime’s Linsey Davis on Friday that they were not happy with the plea deal that Lester accepted.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

Lester\u2019s attorney, Steve Salmon,\u00a0previously argued that his client’s mental and physical capacity<\/span><\/a>\u00a0was a factor in the case, postponing the initial trial date from Oct. 7, 2024 to Feb. 18, 2025. Salmon said the retired air mechanic had heart and memory issues, a broken hip and had lost over 50 pounds.<\/p>\n

In November, the judge ruled that Lester was fit to stand trial after reviewing the results of a mental exam.<\/p>\n

Yarl\u00a0opened up about the shooting<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in an exclusive interview with “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts in July 2023, where he reflected on his recovery and the harrowing experience.<\/p>\n

“He points [the gun] at me \u2026 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.'”<\/p>\n

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

ABC News (KANSAS) — Andrew Lester, the Kansas City man who\u00a0pleaded guilty to felony assault in the second degree\u00a0for the shooting of Ralph Yarl, has died while awaiting sentencing, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson announced on Wednesday. “We have learned of the passing of Andrew Lester and extend ourRead More →<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[156,31,2],"tags":[273,271,276,274,270,123,275,133,124,272,102,103],"yoast_head":"\nAndrew Lester dies while awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in shooting of teen Ralph Yarl - FM News Talk 92.7 \/ 1450AM KOBE<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"TALK, DONE RIGHT\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lascrucestoday.com\/newstalklc\/andrew-lester-dies-while-awaiting-sentencing-after-pleading-guilty-in-shooting-of-teen-ralph-yarl\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Andrew Lester dies while awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in shooting of teen Ralph Yarl - 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