Ralph Yarl shooter Andrew Lester dies days after entering guilty plea
Andrew Lester, the 86-year-old white man charged with shooting Black teenager Ralph Yarl has died just days after accepting a plea deal.
Andrew Lester, the 86-year-old white man who pleaded guilty Friday to shooting Black teenager Ralph Yarl in the head after Yarl mistakenly rang his doorbell, has died, prosecutors in Clay County, Missouri, said Wednesday.
The prosecutors did not say how or when he died. He was facing up to seven years in jail after reaching a plea deal and was awaiting sentencing March 7.
Andrew Lester, 84, appeared briefly before a circuit court judge in Clay County, Mo., on April 19, 2023.KMBC via AP, Pool"While the legal proceedings have now concluded, we acknowledge that Mr. Lester did take responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty in this case," Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said in a statement. "Our thoughts remain with both families affected by this tragic incident as they continue their healing process."
Yarl's family members said in a statement that Lester never apologized for what he did and that "instead, he and his attorney used every legal maneuver possible to delay accountability."
"Now, another Black child harmed by prejudice will never see the man who shot him face the full weight of the justice system," his family said, adding, "Ralph Yarl survived, yet justice was never truly served. He has a lifetime ahead to carry the trauma of that night, while the man responsible escaped sentencing."
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