Andrew Lester dies days after guilty plea in Ralph Yarl shooting: Clay County prosecutor
Andrew Lester, the 86-year-old man who pleaded guilty less than a week ago in the high-profile 2023 shooting of Ralph Yarl in Kansas City’s Northland, has died, the Clay County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.
“We have learned of the passing of Andrew Lester and extend our sincere condolences to his family during this difficult time,” prosecutor Zachary Thompson’s office said in a statement.
“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.”
The circumstances of Lester’s death were not immediately known.
In a statement released to the media, Yarl’s family expressed frustration that “justice was never truly served” in the case, with Lester having “escaped sentencing.”
Lester was scheduled to be sentenced March 7 on a count of second-degree assault in Clay County Circuit Court.
Cher Congour, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, said Lester was not in custody while awaiting sentencing and said prosecutors do not know his cause of death.
In a statement provided to The Star, Yarl’s family said Lester’s death “brings a mix of emotions, but it does not bring justice.”
“One of the reasons we pushed for a speedy trial was to ensure the public would see that our society does not condone shooting an unarmed, innocent child simply for ringing the wrong doorbell — especially when that child was targeted because of the color of his skin,” Yarl’s family said.
They said that while Yarl has a lifetime ahead to carry the trauma of the night of his shooting, “the man responsible escaped sentencing” and said that “justice was never truly served.”
“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,” the family said. “Ralph’s story is far from over, and neither is our fight for justice.”
Steven Salmon, Lester’s attorney, did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday afternoon.
Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, civil rights attorneys who represented Ralph Yarl’s family, were also not immediately available for comment Wednesday afternoon. Clinton Adams Jr., a local attorney among the legal counsel which represented the family in a civil lawsuit, declined to comment.
Lester pleaded guilty to the second-degree assault charge Friday on the eve of his trial, which was expected to begin Tuesday. During a brief hearing, Lester, who was wheeled in and out of the courtroom in a wheelchair, agreed with an assessment by Judge David Chamberlain that his health was “not great,” but said he understood the proceedings and pleaded guilty to the charge.
Prosecutors backed away from first-degree assault and armed criminal action charges and were asking for Chamberlain to sentence Lester to five years in prison as part of a plea agreement. The second-degree assault charge Lester pleaded guilty to carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
The April 2023 shooting grabbed national attention, with many raising outcry about the shooting being racially motivated.
Lester, who is white, was charged in the shooting of Yarl, who is Black, after the teen mistakenly showed up on his doorstep in Kansas City’s Northland, looking to pick up his brothers on April 13, 2023. Lester allegedly shot Yarl after the teen rang the doorbell at Lester’s home.
Lester told police he saw someone, thought they were trying to break into his home and shot twice within a few seconds of opening the door.
Yarl was shot in the head and arm, but survived his injuries. He told police the man who came to the door shot him in the head “immediately” and then shot him again after he fell to the ground, according to court documents.
The Star’s Kendrick Calfee and Ilana Arougheti contributed reporting to this story.
This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 2:31 PM.
