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An 86-year-old white man was prosecuted. A young black man was injured in a shooting at the wrong door in Kansas City, Missouri, will go forward last year, a judge indicated Tuesday.
Andrew Lester’s mental review Clay County Circuit Court Judge David P. Chamberlain approved. It was completed in September and entered into the record on November 15 but otherwise withheld from the public.
So far, the report has not blocked the trial’s Feb. 18 start date, which was scheduled during a hearing in early October, according to court records. A second week of trial, if required, was set for February 24.
Cleo Nagbe, Ralph Yarl’s mother, said the young man’s family was happy the case went on schedule.
“The family of Ralph Yarl is grateful that the trial against Andrew Lester is moving forward,” he said in a statement to the NBC affiliate. KSHB of Kansas City, Missouri. “This case represents more than just accountability — it’s a step toward justice for the trauma Ralph and our family endured simply because he rang the doorbell at the wrong house.”
Lester’s trial, scheduled for Tuesday, was continued until Jan. 25 at the request of Lester’s defense, according to court documents. A lawyer for the defendant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lester, a retired airplane mechanic, has pleaded not guilty to the felony charges — first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He is accused of shooting Yarl, then 16, on April 13, 2023, when the teenager rang his doorbell minutes before 10 p.m.
Yarl survived and recovered, with a scar on his head that reminded him of the chakra that stole him. Another round hit his arm.
He went to Lester’s door because he was assigned to pick up his younger twin brothers at a friend’s house, but he confused Northeast 115th Street for his intended destination of Northeast 115th Terrace. Khan’s lawyers have said.
After the shooting, Yarl sought help from residents of neighboring homes, and was eventually hospitalized, his family’s attorneys said. Lester called police and said he opened fire because he was scared, authorities said. After the youth was charged during the uproar over the shooting, he turned himself in a few days later.
The man’s defense has argued that publicity for the case, including coverage of protests that Lester has allegedly been treated differently by the justice system than defendants of color, has swayed the jury. may taint and it may be considered that his actions were reasonable and lawful.
A judge assigned to the case last year said in May 2023. Publicity about the shooting raised questions. about potential racial motivation and may taint the pool of potential jurors.
Celebrities Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Chrissy Teigen, Kim Kardashian and Viola Davis have commented on the case. For example entered into the record. How far has the news of the shooting spread?
Yarl has said he is dealing with trauma after his shooting. “There’s always a part of me that says that person could potentially be ‘dangerous,'” He said in an interview in April.
Yarl’s mother said in a statement Tuesday, “We are committed to seeking justice and making sure no other family goes through what they did. Don’t suffer like this because of color.”
If Lester is successfully prosecuted for the assault, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. If convicted of armed criminal action, he could face 3 to 15 years in prison.
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