MISSION, Kan. — An 86-year-old man from Missouri has passed away just days after entering a guilty plea for a lesser offense concerning the shooting of Ralph Yarl, a Black honor student who mistakenly rang his doorbell. The announcement was made by prosecutors on Wednesday.
Andrew Lester, residing in Kansas City, faced serious charges including first-degree assault and armed criminal action for the incident that occurred in 2023 when Yarl was 16 years old. Fortunately, Yarl survived the shooting and is now a freshman at Texas A&M University. Before his trial was set to commence, Lester opted to plead guilty to second-degree assault, a charge that could result in a maximum sentence of seven years. Sentencing was anticipated for March 7.
Cher Congour, a representative from the Clay County prosecutor’s office, indicated that Lester’s attorney had communicated his death. The prosecutor’s office expressed their condolences through a statement, acknowledging that although the legal process has concluded, Lester did take accountability for his actions by admitting guilt in this case.
The specific cause of Lester’s death has not been disclosed. Kansas City police confirmed that they were not conducting any investigation related to his death. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Clay County sheriff’s office noted that they lacked information regarding the cause of death as Lester was not in custody; however, he had been described as “in poor health” during his plea hearing last week.
Yarl’s family released a statement expressing their concerns about the lack of justice for the harm caused. They stated that the delay in the legal proceedings left them in distress, emphasizing that although Lester admitted guilt, this acknowledgment came only at the final moment after two years of avoiding responsibility. They expressed that yet another Black child victimized by prejudice would not see justice served to the man who shot him.
This case has sparked significant national discourse surrounding issues of gun control and racial concerns in America. On the night of April 13, 2023, Yarl mistakenly arrived at Lester’s home while attempting to pick up his siblings from a friend’s house.
During the case, Lester’s lawyer contended that his client acted out of fear, believing Yarl posed a threat as he approached the door. Reports indicate that Lester shot Yarl twice—first in the head and later in the arm.
Yarl testified that he rang the doorbell and had waited what felt like an unusually long time for someone to respond. Upon the door opening, he reached for the storm door, mistakenly thinking he was at the residence of his brothers’ friends. He recalled that Lester shot him in the head while telling him, “Don’t come here ever again.” Fortunately, the bullet did not penetrate Yarl’s brain, but the force of the gunshot knocked him to the ground, after which he was shot again in the arm. Yarl was hospitalized and released three days later.
The emotional impact of the incident affected Yarl’s family deeply, leading them to file a lawsuit against Lester, who was a retired aircraft mechanic. Last year, Lester’s attorney revealed that his client’s health had significantly declined, mentioning heart issues, a broken hip, and considerable weight loss attributed to the stress from media scrutiny and threatening messages he received following the incident.
At the plea hearing, Lester appeared in a fragile state, having been wheeled into the courtroom with his hands folded. When questioned about his health, he confirmed that he was indeed in poor condition. Although the judge had previously ordered a mental evaluation of Lester, the trial was permitted to proceed afterward, with the evaluation results remaining undisclosed to the public.
Lester’s grandson, Daniel Ludwig, has not responded to inquiries regarding the situation.
