Clay County

Yarl’s family has little confidence in Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson, who they say failed to act aggressively from the beginning. “The whole world is watching Kansas City to see if there’s going to be accountability and justice for this teenage kid who merely rang the doorbell.”

The Clay County Judge ruled that the case against Andrew Lester, the 84-year-old white man who shot 17-year-old Ralph Yarl, be sealed so that he receives a fair and impartial trial. Judge Louis Angles cited the harassment, media coverage and threats Andrew Lester has faced.

Law enforcement agencies must be careful when they use social media. The public depends on the information from law enforcement to stay safe in violent situations such as active shooters, mass shootings and kidnappings.

The attorney for Andrew D. Lester says the 84-year-old has been threatened, harassed and called a racist since the Black teen's shooting made national headlines, and is asking the case be sealed so Lester can have a fair trial.

A local defense attorney said it's possible Lester's defense team will say Andrew Lester, the 84-year-old who shot 16-year-old Ralph Yarl on his doorstep, had a right to use deadly force to protect his property. That's because of the 'castle doctrine.'

Trustees of the building on the northern banks of the Missouri River called it a "painful decision" to close because they don't have the $500,000 needed to restore it after a devastating fire.

Andrew D. Lester appeared for a three-minute hearing at the Clay County Courthouse for a formal reading of his two felony charges, first degree assault and armed criminal action. Meanwhile, Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing the teen’s family, said the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the shooting as a federal hate crime.

National civil rights leaders, local activists and community leaders held a press conference and led protestors Tuesday afternoon outside the Federal Courthouse in downtown Kansas City. They showed up to decry last week’s shooting of a Black teenager after he rang the wrong doorbell in a Northland neighborhood.

Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson announced the charges against Andrew D. Lester late Monday afternoon after days of national outcry.

After years of gain, urban core counties in the Kansas City area — including Jackson County and Wyandotte County — have started shrinking. But Johnson County is thriving.

Missouri's municipal election day is April 4, 2023, less than a month away. Thousands of residents will vote in general and primary elections to choose who represents them in their city governments. Here's a list of opportunities to meet some of the candidates running in these races.

Timothy M. Haslett, Jr. faces nine felony charges for allegedly keeping a woman captive in his basement for more than a month until she escaped.