The legal representative of an 85-year-old Caucasian man who shot Ralph Yarl, a Black honor student by mistake when Yarl visited his home in Kansas City, Missouri, has requested a psychological evaluation for his client. The attorney believes that the retired aircraft mechanic, Andrew Lester, is no longer capable of comprehending the legal proceedings due to his age. A motion was submitted by Lester’s lawyer on Tuesday. Lester has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting that took place on April 13, 2023, when he was 84 years old.
Yarl, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, survived the incident and graduated high school in the spring. However, his family stated that the shooting had a significant emotional impact and has brought a lawsuit against Lester. The incident stirred a nationwide discussion on gun laws and racial issues in the United States. Lester’s trial is set to commence on October 7.
Attorney Steve Salmon has consistently argued that Lester acted in self-defense, feeling threatened by the unfamiliar person knocking on his door late at night. Salmon is now requesting that psychiatrists or psychologists evaluate Lester to determine if he should be placed in a suitable medical facility for treatment while decisions are made regarding his case.
Yarl had arrived at Lester’s residence after confusing the streets while trying to pick up his twin siblings. During a previous hearing, Yarl recounted that Lester shot him in the head and warned him not to return. Although the bullet did not penetrate Yarl’s brain, it knocked him down, after which Lester shot him in the arm.
Salmon mentioned in his statement that over the following months, Lester’s health and mental state deteriorated significantly. Lester experienced heart problems, a fractured hip, and hospital stays. He has also lost 50 pounds (23 kilograms), which Salmon attributes to the stress caused by media attention and death threats.
Salmon highlighted that Lester is struggling with memory problems concerning crucial details of the case that were not problematic before. Lester reportedly confuses pretrial hearings with the actual trial and mistakenly believes that coins he bought from a TV advertisement are now valued at $20 million. Salmon expressed concern that Lester may not currently have the mental capacity to grasp the legal proceedings against him or to contribute to his defense.
