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.
"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."
Lester had pleaded guilty to one felony count of second-degree assault.
Last week, after the plea agreement was reached, Yarl’s mother, Cleo Nagbe,said she was frustrated that Lester’s case had been delayed for several months.
“Why did we allow him to live in his house comfortably, do all the things that he desired to do?” she told NBC News.
The family also expressed frustration with the deal itself, saying it does not erase the trauma that they and Yarl endured, nor does it address perceived failures in the justice system, including racial bias.
“While this marks a step toward accountability, true justice requires consequences that reflect the severity of his actions — anything less would be a failure to recognize the harm,” the family said in a statement. “This case has never been just about Ralph — it is about every child’s right to exist without being seen as a threat.”
Thompson responded that the outcome “ensures accountability for the defendant, provides closure to Mr. Yarl, and satisfies the need to achieve a just result in the case.”
Lester’s trial had been scheduled to start Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri. He had pleaded not guilty to one felony count each of first-degree assault and armed criminal action.
Before the plea deal was made, members of Yarl’s family said they had little trust in the Clay County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office because they believe it had not worked aggressively enough for a conviction, said the family’s spokesperson, Faith Spoonmore, Yarl’s aunt.
As an example, she said, Thompson did not argue in the charging documents that race was a factor in the shooting.
“I don’t think that the prosecutor’s office is on our side,” Spoonmore said before the deal was announced.
Thompson responded Friday, saying, “We understand their frustration, but throughout this process our office has maintained regular and respectful communication with Mr. Yarl’s family. They were consulted during the process.”
Race was a component in the case, but there was no evidence of racial motivation, Thompson said, adding he explored all aspects of the case.
Lester, who was initially charged with a felony count of first-degree assault and armed criminal action, shot Yarl with a handgun on April 13, 2023, when Yarl rang Lester’s doorbell, mistaking it for the house where he was supposed to pick up his siblings.
Lester fired multiple shots, grazing Yarl in the head and striking him in the arm. Lester immediately called police, telling them he fired his gun because he was scared.
Yarl, 18, who is in his first semester of college at Texas A&M, declined to comment this week, He told NBC News last year in his first in-depth interview about how the shooting affected him that it had been “a bumpy journey.”
“Whenever there’s something that goes on that reminds me of what happened ... I just have, like, such a negative wave of emotions, like anger, like disgust,” he said. “It’s always a mix of good and bad days. And I feel like the good days are when I’m able to be around people that help me build myself up.”
