Preliminary hearing set for man accused of shooting teenager
A Kansas City man accused of shooting a Black teenager will face a preliminary hearing in three months, attorneys agreed during a brief hearing Thursday, days after a judge ruled that court documents in the case will be sealed and kept from the public.
Attorneys agreed the preliminary hearing for Andrew Lester, 84, will be Aug. 31-Sept. 1. Lester appeared in court, which was held in a small courtroom filled with supporters of Ralph Yarl.
Many of the supporters wore T-shirts saying, “Ringing the wrong doorbell is not a crime.” Others were from a group of Liberian residents living in the Kansas City area. Yarl's parents are Liberian immigrants.
The teen's father, Paul Yarl, said he was disappointed the preliminary hearing was delayed until late August. He said he hoped Lester eventually serves jail time.
“The shooter was going to kill Ralph,” Paul Yarl said. “It's obvious, right? He shot him twice. His intent was to finish him off. So yeah, we need justice for that.”
Lester has pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of Ralph Yarl, who knocked on Lester's door on April 13 while trying to pick up his young brothers, who were at a home a block away.
Yarl, who has celebrated his 17th birthday since the shooting, suffered gunshot wounds to his head and wrist and continues to recover at home.
Lester remains free after posting $20,000 — 10% of his $200,000 bond.
The shooting drew international attention amid claims that Lester, who is White, received preferential treatment from investigators in the hours after he shot Yarl. President Joe Biden and several celebrities issued statements calling for justice for Yarl.