Kansas City man dies while awaiting sentencing for shooting Black teen Ralph Yarl
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Andrew Lester, 86, has died after pleading guilty to the intentional shooting of Black teenager Ralph Yarl outside Lester's Kansas City home in 2023.
Local prosecutors announced Lester's death on Wednesday but did not say when or how he died, NBC News reported.
Yarl was 16 when he mistakenly went to Lester's home instead of the correct residence and rang the doorbell while trying to pick up his twin brothers from a play date on April 13, 2023.
Lester, who is White, shot Yarl once in the head and once in an arm, which caused the teen to suffer a traumatic brain injury.
Lester called 911 after shooting Yarl and said the teen was "at my door trying to get in, and I shot him."
Prosecutors charged Lester with one count of felony assault in the first degree and one felony count of armed criminal action.
Lester initially pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released after posting a $200,000 bond.
He recently changed his plea to guilty and was scheduled for a sentencing hearing on March 7 while facing up to seven years in prison.
"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."
Prosecutors suggested the shooting was racially motivated and considered charging Yarl with a hate crime but didn't because the felony charges carried a more severe punishment.
Yarl's family said Lester's death deprives them of justice for the teen's shooting.
"The news of Andrew Lester's passing brings a mix of emotions, but it does not bring justice," Yarl's family told ABC News. "Justice was never truly served."
Yarl's family said they "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."
Attorney Steve Salmon represented Lester and argued he had heart and memory problems, a broken hip and lost more than 50 pounds while delaying his trial date from Oct. 7, 2024, to Feb. 18.
A judge in November ruled Lester was fit to stand trial after seeing the results of a mental examination.
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