Andrew Lester, who after he mistakenly rang Lester鈥檚 doorbell, has died. He was 86.
Lester, who is white, shot twice at the then-16-year-old Yarl after the teen mistakenly arrived at Lester鈥檚 door while picking up his little brothers in April 2023. The shooting brought , national headlines and death threats against Lester.
Lester died Wednesday, according to the Clay County District Attorney鈥檚 office. A cause of death is not yet known.
During a short hearing in Liberty last Friday, Lester was visibly more frail than during the last two years of hearings. He was hunched over in his wheelchair, told the judge he was in poor health and had difficulty hearing the proceedings.
In a statement, Yarl鈥檚 family said Lester鈥檚 death brought a mix of emotions, but not justice, and left them reeling.
They supported the speedy trial 鈥渢o ensure the public would see that our society does not condone shooting an unarmed, innocent child simply for ringing the wrong doorbell鈥攅specially when that child was targeted because of the color of his skin.鈥�
Although Lester finally admitted guilt, the family said it came at the very last moment and after two years of stalling.
鈥淔or nearly two years, Andrew Lester never apologized. Instead, he and his attorney used every legal maneuver possible to delay accountability,鈥� the statement reads. 鈥淣ow, another Black child harmed by prejudice will never see the man who shot him face the full weight of the justice system.鈥�
On Friday, Lester to second-degree assault in a plea bargain with the Clay County District Attorney. He was set to be sentenced on March 7, and could have received between one and seven years in prison.
If found guilty of the more serious felonies he was originally charged with, Lester could have received a life sentence.
While there was a racial component to the shooting, there was no racial motivation, District Attorney Zach Thompson said.
Yarl, who was shot twice, survived, and attended Lester鈥檚 hearing last Friday. Yarl graduated from Staley High School last year and is now a freshman at Texas A&M University, where he is in Air Force ROTC and the marching band.
After days of national outcry that included hundreds of , the Clay County prosecutor charged Lester with assault in the first degree and armed criminal action, both felonies.
Thompson was criticized for not citing, which many, including Yarl鈥檚 family, called for. Thompson said hate crime charges in Missouri carry a lower range of penalties than the two felonies Lester was charged with.
Lester pleaded not guilty to both counts. At the preliminary hearing, Yarl testified that Lester said 鈥淒on鈥檛 come here ever again,鈥� before shooting him twice 鈥� once in the head.
In May 2024, Lester鈥檚 defense team had the case . They argued the high-profile case cast Lester in a 鈥渘egative light鈥� and would prevent him from receiving a fair trial.
Lester鈥檚 attorneys filed a motion arguing he wasn鈥檛 fit to stand trial two months before the trial was originally supposed to begin. A judge ordered a for him before the case moved forward.
Yarl also filed a seeking monetary damages from Lester and his homeowner鈥檚 association, which they claim failed to take precautions about a 鈥減otentially dangerous individual.鈥�
Lester was a military veteran who once worked as an Air Force mechanic during the Vietnam War. He later worked as a mechanic for an airline. He had no criminal history before the shooting.
