KANSAS CITY, Mo — Less than a month from the previously scheduled criminal trial for Andrew Lester, a judge decided on Monday to delay it.
Judge David Paul Chamberlain approved a mental health exam after Lester’s attorneys petitioned the court claiming his mental and physical health are declining.
The delay just means the journey for Ralph’s family just keeps getting longer.
"In our minds, October 7th was gonna end a part of the chapter of our lives we felt was never gonna happen," said Cleo Nagbe, Ralph's mother. "It was a date we wanted to come and move ahead. When this happened, we had to find another end date."
Nearly a year-and-a-half ago, Nagbe heard her son was shot going to Lester's front door by mistake when he was sent to pick up his siblings from a different house.
Of the many conversations KSHB 41’s had with the family, this time, it seems there's an added layer of exhaustion.
"On that Monday, I feel like I was carrying a brick on my shoulders," Nagbe said.
Ralph’s mother, along with their legal team, has been prioritizing the teen being a new college student while making sure he understands what's ahead.
"That's one of the joys of being a teenager — you don't think too much of the future or too much of the past," she said.
Part of those conversations is confidence that it's not a matter of if they will see Lester at trial, it's when.
"There's no doubt in my mind unless God decides it's not gonna happen," Nagbe said. "He can delay all he wants he's gonna face the jury."
There’s a status hearing scheduled for Oct. 8 for the case.
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KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers portions of Johnson County, including neighborhoods in Overland Park, Shawnee and Mission. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
