Judge dismisses murder case against Arkansas sheriff candidate Aaron Spencer

By Faith Karimi, CNN

(CNN) — A judge on Thursday dismissed a second-degree murder charge against Aaron Spencer, the Arkansas sheriff candidate who was scheduled to go on trial this month for killing a man accused of sexually assaulting his teenage daughter.

In the order dismissing the case, Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. cited missing evidence and misconduct by law enforcement, saying it “was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted.”

Spencer admitted to gunning down Michael Fosler in the early hours of October 8, 2024, after he found him with his daughter after midnight despite a no-contact order. Fosler, 67, was out on bond while facing dozens of charges, including internet stalking of a child and sexual assault in connection with Spencer’s daughter.

In February, Spencer won the Republican primary for Lonoke County sheriff, saying he’s running to fix a justice system that failed to protect his daughter.

Spencer had admitted to the killing but pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. His trial was expected to start June 22.

The teen had vanished from her bedroom earlier that October night. Spencer said he jumped into his Ford truck and searched the roads around their home until he spotted her in Fosler’s truck, rammed the vehicle off the road and shot him during an altercation.

“I did what any good father would do — just save and protect their child,” he told CNN in February.

CNN has reached out to the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office and Spencer for comment.

In an unexpected twist, Spencer announced last fall that he was running for sheriff against the incumbent whose deputies arrested him that night. Spencer, an Army veteran with no law enforcement experience, defeated Republican incumbent John Staley, who’d been in office for over 13 years.

Spencer’s prosecution sparked outrage on social media and prompted several petitions calling for the charges against him to be dropped, including one signed by more than 380,000 people. It also prompted conversations across Arkansas and beyond about a parent’s legal limits in protecting their child.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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