The ex-wife of a Missouri man, who appeared in court on Wednesday accused of shooting a 16-year-old boy in the head as he knocked on his door, said her former husband was a deeply violent man.
Mary Clayton, 81, was married to Andrew Lester, 84, for 14 years and the couple had three children together.
They divorced many years ago and she moved to California: When Lester’s face appeared on the news about last week’s incident, Clayton didn’t recognize him at first.
But she said his alleged crime didn’t shock her.
“I was always afraid of him,” she told the New York Times.
‘I’m not surprised by what happened.’
Andrew Lester, 84, pleaded not guilty in a first appearance at the Clay County Courthouse on Wednesday
He is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal activity, and his next appearance is scheduled for June 1
Clayton said he frequently became violently angry during their marriage.
He got into a rage and smashed things around her house.
When she reported him to the police, she said the officers told her it was his house and he could do whatever he wanted.
She said she was unaware of his alleged crime until her daughter called and told her.
Lester appeared in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty during a three-minute appearance at the Clay County Courthouse.
He is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal activity, and his next appearance is scheduled for June 1.
Lawyers for Ralph Yarl, 16, told the court the Justice Department is investigating the shooting as a hate crime. His family did not attend the hearing.
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who is representing the teenager, told reporters, “We thought the DOJ should look into this.
“That’s them (looks inside). It is under investigation, they received our complaint and are now investigating.
“I want him to spend the rest of his life in prison. All of his assets become Ralph’s property.’
During the hearing, Judge Angles added several conditions to Lester’s bail, barring him from contacting Ralph or his family or leaving the state of Missouri without permission.
He was also forced to surrender his passport and concealed carry permit and was banned from owning any weapons.
Meanwhile, Merritt posted a picture of Ralph looking relaxed and smiling as he was spotted for the first time since being discharged from hospital.
Merritt posted the picture on his Twitter and said: “Ralph Yarl is home recovering!
“It’s really a miracle that the bullet in his head didn’t do any major damage. Glory to God!’
Approaching a property in Kansas City, Missouri, Ralph thought he was picking up his two younger brothers, but was shot and taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Lawyers for Ralph, 16, said out of court that the Justice Department is investigating the shooting as a hate crime. His family did not attend the hearing
Lester faces a life sentence after being charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal activity in connection with the shooting that sent Ralph Yarl to the hospital
During the hearing, Judge Angles added several conditions to Lester’s bond and barred him from owning a gun
Pictured: The home of Andrew Lester, the 84-year-old white homeowner accused of shooting dead black teenager Ralph Yarl in Kansas City, Missouri
Andrew Lester, 84, told the Kansas City Police Department that shooting Ralph Yarl, 16, was the “last thing he wanted to do” but he was afraid of the teenager because of his size and age
Lester turned himself in on Tuesday after Clay County prosecutors confirmed he would be charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal activity – which could result in him spending the rest of his life behind bars.
He was released from Clay County Detention Center after paying 10 percent of the $200,000 bail.
His grandson said the shooting “should never have happened” and explained that it’s “easy to mix up the characteristics” because they all look the same.
Daniel Ludwig said: “I would visit my grandpa and get lost on these streets. It’s just crazy. I wish it hadn’t happened.’
His comments come as the GoFundMe page for gifted scholar Yarl, 16, surges past $3.2 million.
Lester, according to his testimony, fired twice within seconds of opening the door and claims not a word was exchanged
On Thursday night, Yarl was shot twice through the door of Lester’s home, which is just a block from the property where his younger twin brothers were waiting to be picked up.
The suspect was arrested hours after the April 14 shooting and released when he told police he was “scared to death” after seeing Yarl standing on his doorstep.
Clay County Attorney Zachary Thompson said, “As the Clay County Attorney, I can tell you that there was a racist component to the case … I do not want to comment on the specifics of the case to protect its integrity.”
Kansas City Police Commissioner Stacey Graves also acknowledged the “racial components” at play in the case.
Lester, according to his testimony, fired twice within seconds of opening the door and claims not a word was exchanged
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said Yarl “was shot because he was black.”
He told CNN that he shares Kansas City residents’ outrage at the lack of action.
Lucas said: “To say that racing is not part of this whole situation would be to bury your head in the sand.
The 16-year-old looked relaxed and smiled with his lawyer Lee Merritt on Wednesday before Andrew Lester, 84, appeared in court for the first time
The home in Kansas City, Missouri, had a “No Lawyers” sign on top of the doorbell, which Ralph mistakenly rang
President Joe Biden called the Yarl family Monday and invited them to the White House if the teen is well enough
“This boy was shot because he was black. And he was knocking on the door of someone who clearly fears black people.
“Black boys, black kids, and I think that’s as clear as day, and so I hope that the reason a lot of black people and black parents — myself included — are worried isn’t wrong or forgotten, because one day it’ll be at the door.” rings, they can have you shot. What next?’
He added: “It’s a normal existence in life and someone came up to a door and shot through a door. Not once, but twice. That’s the scary thing.
“So I think I’m glad to see this first step towards justice and why we all need to examine how we are dealing with this and how we can do better in the future.”
Ralph Yarl, 16, was shot twice in the head by a white man after accidentally approaching the wrong house while picking up his siblings
Yarl, centre, is said to have tried to pick up his younger siblings from a friend’s house but went to the wrong address
In an affidavit of probable cause, Lester told KCPD that shooting Yarl was the “last thing he wanted to do” but was afraid of the teenager because of his size and age.
The document also revealed that officers discovered a Smith and Wesson .32 caliber revolver with two spent cartridge cases still in the barrel after officers arrived at the scene.
Police say Yarl was shot after knocking on the door and Lester told officers he saw him “pulling the door handle” – something the teenager denies.
Yarl also told authorities Lester told him “don’t come by here” after he was shot in the head and arm through the glass at the front of the house.
Lester, according to his testimony, fired twice within seconds of opening the door and claims not a word was exchanged.
The document revealed he was shot in the left forehead and right arm, with a neighbor telling police officers they find it “strange” that their “elderly neighbor is having visitors so late at night”.
A witness added that they heard “two or three shots” from Lester’s house and heard Yarl scream that he had been shot.
Lester told officers he felt he was “protecting” himself at the property, where he says he lives alone.
He also claimed that he called 911 after the shooting and claimed Yarl “ran away” after the incident.
Yarl was shot in the head and arm on April 13 after mistakenly ringing the doorbell of the Missouri estate where he thought he was picking up his younger twin brothers
The statement shows he was “visibly upset” during the interview and “repeatedly expressed his concern” for Yarl.
He said he “believed he was protecting himself from a physical confrontation and couldn’t take the risk of the man coming in”.
Yarl told officers he rang the doorbell and waited outside, adding that the man inside “took a long time but eventually opened the door with a firearm.”
Officers took a hard drive from Lester’s home to keep the video, but the video system “was no longer functional.”
Lester’s home had signs warning of intruders and unwanted visitors, although it’s unclear if Yarl saw any of them before approaching the property.
A small sign on the doorbell read ‘No Lawyers’, while another sign claimed the property was ‘protected by surveillance cameras’.