The shooting of Ralph, a high school marching band member, by Mr. Lester, a retiree in his 80s, led to protests in Kansas City this spring and a national outcry, with President Biden inviting Ralph to visit the White House.
Mr. Lester, who was 84 at the time of the shooting, is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action, both felonies, and could face life in prison if convicted.
He was allowed to remain free on bond but was ordered to appear for an arraignment on Sept. 20.
The case against Mr. Lester is the rare one in which there does not seem to be much disagreement about the underlying facts.
Prosecutors and Mr. Lester’s lawyer agreed that Ralph meant no harm when he rang the doorbell after mistaking the defendant’s home on Northeast 115th Street for the friend’s house, which had the same street number on nearby Northeast 115th Terrace.
Persons:
Ralph, Lester, Biden, Angles’s, Lester’s
Organizations:
Street
Locations:
Kansas City, Liberty, Northeast