A judge on Thursday dismissed a murder charge against an Arkansas man who won the GOP nomination for sheriff while awaiting trial for the shooting death of his teenage daughter's alleged abuser.
The ruling came weeks before Aaron Spencer, who will be on the November ballot, had been set to face a jury on a second-degree murder charge. He won a March primary over the local three-term sheriff whose office had arrested Spencer in Lonoke County, which has roughly 76,000 residents and is heavily Republican.
Spencer's attorneys do not deny that he shot and killed Michael Fosler in 2024, saying he did so to protect his child. Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. granted a motion by Spencer's attorney to dismiss the charge over a dash camera memory card that may have captured the shooting and was lost by law enforcement.
"The court finds that conduct by law enforcement was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted," Wilson wrote.
At the time of the shooting, Fosler, 67, was out on bond after being charged with dozens of ******* ual offenses against Spencer's then-13-year-old daughter.
The ruling came weeks before Aaron Spencer, who will be on the November ballot, had been set to face a jury on a second-degree murder charge. He won a March primary over the local three-term sheriff whose office had arrested Spencer in Lonoke County, which has roughly 76,000 residents and is heavily Republican.
Spencer's attorneys do not deny that he shot and killed Michael Fosler in 2024, saying he did so to protect his child. Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. granted a motion by Spencer's attorney to dismiss the charge over a dash camera memory card that may have captured the shooting and was lost by law enforcement.
"The court finds that conduct by law enforcement was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted," Wilson wrote.
At the time of the shooting, Fosler, 67, was out on bond after being charged with dozens of ******* ual offenses against Spencer's then-13-year-old daughter.
5 months ago
