A judge dismissed the murder charge against Aaron Spencer, the Republican nominee for Lonoke County sheriff. The dismissal cited missing evidence and misconduct by law enforcement officials.
Aaron Spencer stood accused of killing the alleged abuser of his daughter. He was set to go on trial soon.
Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. made the decision on Thursday. He dismissed the second-degree murder charge due to law enforcement officers losing dashboard camera footage. This footage may have captured the fatal event. The judge concluded this loss violated Spencer’s due process rights.
The Court finds that conduct by law enforcement was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted,
the judge stated in his order.
Court documents reveal Spencer admitted to shooting Michael Fosler. Fosler faced charges of sexually assaulting Spencer’s daughter, aged 13 at the time. The incident transpired on October 8, 2024, about a month after the assault charges against Fosler had been filed.
Spencer awoke that morning to find his daughter missing. He searched and located her in a car with Fosler, who was out on bond. Spencer reported that she attempted to leave the vehicle, but Fosler prevented her. Fearing for his daughter’s safety, Spencer shot Fosler.
Spencer entered a plea of not guilty to the murder charge. He maintained his actions aimed to protect his daughter from harm. State prosecutors argued otherwise. They claimed the killing was premeditated and that Spencer should have contacted the police instead.
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