Sandlot Actor Marty York Details Aftermath of His Mom Deanna Esmaeel’s 2023 Murder

Marty York is still healing. 

The Sandlot actor, who played Alan "Yeah-Yeah" McClennan in the 1993 film, shared insight into the aftermath of his mother's October 2023 murder. 

"I'm hanging in there as much as I can," he told Access Hollywood in an interview that aired April 5. "It's been hard just everything—trying to come back in this business, trying to deal with my mom's death and how it happened." 

And while his mother, Deanna Esmaeel, inspired him throughout his career, York explained that he plans to continue his acting career in her honor. 

"If it wasn't for my mom, I wouldn't be in the position that I'm in," he continued. "My mom believed in me through the hardest times of this business, my mom was always being like, ‘You got this.'"

York's mother, who worked as a deputy in the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office in Crescent, Calif., was found dead at her home Oct. 12. Her boyfriend, Edward Patrick Davies, formerly known as Daniel James Walter, was seen on camera leaving Esmaeel's home at 7:43 a.m. that morning, Sheriff Garrett Scott told Wild Rivers Outpost. 

The following day, he was arrested in Oregon on suspicion of murder after hours of searching, according to a Facebook post shared by the Del Norte County's Sheriff's Office. Later that month, he pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity, according to District Attorney Katherine Micks. 

His arraignment is set for May 1, authorities told E! News.

E! News has reached out to Davies' lawyer for comment on the upcoming trial but has not heard back.

At the time of her death, York took to Instagram to share his grief with his fans. 

"This is the hardest post I'll ever have to write but I found out from the sheriff department last night that my mother was murdered by a man she was seeing," he wrote Oct. 13. "The emotions I have are horrible right now between rage, vengeance, crying."

The Boy Meets World alum's mother was inspired to become a sheriff's deputy in 2021, four years after her daughter died of a drug overdose. Despite losing multiple family members, York hopes to provide encouragement to those also going through tough times. 

"I really just hope people are inspired," he added to Access Hollywood. "I hope when people feel like giving up through any obstacle I hope that they can remember my story and be like, ‘You know, Marty didn't give up.'"

(E! and Access Hollywood are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)