Andrew Lester, the 86-year-old white man who shot Black teenager Ralph Yarl in the head for simply ringing the wrong doorbell, has officially struck a plea deal. On Friday, prosecutors confirmed that Lester pleaded guilty to a felony charge of second-degree assault, which carries a sentence of one to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. His sentencing is scheduled for March 7.
This case, which instantly became a rallying cry for racial justice, continues to spark outrage. Many believe the legal system once again failed to uphold true justice for Black victims.
Family Of Ralph Yarl Files Civil Lawsuit Against Andrew Lester
Yarl’s Family Speaks Out: “This Ain’t Justice”
Ralph Yarl’s family isn’t holding back. They expressed their deep disappointment with the plea deal, calling it a slap on the wrist rather than real justice.
“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,” Yarl’s 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.”
Yarl, now 17, miraculously survived the April 13, 2023 shooting, but the emotional and physical scars remain. He was simply picking up his younger brothers from a friend’s house when he rang the wrong doorbell. Instead of being met with a simple correction, he was met with two bullets—one to the head and another to the arm.
The Racial Double Standard in Sentencing
Let’s be real—if the roles were reversed and Ralph Yarl had been the one pulling the trigger, would he be looking at a plea deal with a maximum of seven years? Absolutely not.
Many civil rights advocates are calling out the racial bias in America’s legal system, emphasizing that a Black man in Lester’s position would be facing life behind bars—no plea deal, no sympathy, just a harsh sentence.
Benjamin Crump, the well-known civil rights attorney representing Yarl’s family, put it plainly:
“If a Black man shot a white child for ringing his doorbell, we already know how that would play out. This system isn’t broken—it’s working exactly how it was designed to.”
This case is yet another example of how America’s legal system continues to fail Black people.
What Happens Next? Lester’s Sentencing & What It Means
With sentencing set for March 7, all eyes are on what punishment Lester will actually receive. While the one-to-seven-year sentence range is already light, the reality is he could get an even lesser sentence or probation due to his age.
Yarl’s family, alongside community leaders and civil rights activists, are calling for the harshest possible sentence within the deal.
Missouri law allows for early release and parole, meaning Lester could serve far less than seven years. With public outcry growing, the pressure is on the judge to send a strong message that Black lives do matter in the eyes of the law.
