A judge has ordered a mental evaluation of Andrew Lester, the 85-year-old man charged with shooting then 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who mistakenly rang his doorbell in April 2023. The evaluation, requested by Lester’s lawyer last month, has delayed the trial indefinitely.
Lester’s attorney, Steve Salmon, claims that Lester’s health has deteriorated significantly, impairing his ability to understand the legal proceedings or assist in his own defense. The trial, initially set to begin on October 7, has now been postponed, with a hearing scheduled for the following day.
In court on Monday, Lester pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in connection with the shooting of Yarl on April 13, 2023. Yarl accidentally went to Lester’s house while trying to pick up his twin brothers from a play date.
Lester told the dispatcher that he saw a six-foot-tall Black man at his doorstep and believed he was attempting a break-in.
According to Yarl, Lester shot him in the head and said, “Don’t come here ever again,” before shooting him in the arm. Yarl survived and graduated from high school this spring. The family has since filed a lawsuit against Lester.
It was also revealed in court Ralph grabbed the storm door handle expecting to be welcomed inside as Lester was opening the main wooden door behind him.
“I think it makes a big difference because somebody is within two feet and hasn’t identified himself who he doesn’t know and is grabbing the screen door which was not part of the narrative before,” said Steve Salmon, Lester’s attorney
Salmon argues that Lester’s physical and mental health have significantly declined. Lester has experienced heart issues, a broken hip, and has been hospitalized multiple times. He has also lost 50 pounds, which Salmon attributes to the stress from media scrutiny and death threats. Lester has developed memory issues, confused pretrial hearings with the actual trial, and believes that coins he bought from a TV ad are worth $20 million.
“The frailty of Defendant’s physical health has, in part, been because of a broken hip, heart issues, and hospitalization he has suffered during the pendency of this matter,” Salmon said in the motion on Monday. He added that Lester’s mental decline is compounded by “overwhelming media attention, as well as death threats and other unwanted attention.”
