A judge in Arkansas has dismissed a murder charge against a father who was awaiting trial for killing his 13-year-old daughter's alleged rapist. The case against Aaron Spencer was thrown out on Thursday, June 4, 2026, just weeks before his scheduled trial on a second-degree murder charge.
Political Implications
Spencer, who won the Republican nomination for sheriff in Lonoke County, will appear on the November ballot. He secured victory in a March primary against the three-term incumbent sheriff whose office had arrested him.
The Incident
Spencer's attorneys do not deny that he shot and killed 67-year-old Michael Fosler in 2024. They assert that he acted to protect his child. Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. granted the motion to dismiss due to a lost dash camera memory card that may have captured the shooting.
“The court finds that conduct by law enforcement was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted,” Wilson wrote in his ruling.
At the time of the shooting, Fosler was out on bond after being charged with dozens of sexual offenses against Spencer's then-13-year-old daughter. Court documents reveal that on the night of the incident, Spencer woke up to find his daughter missing and later located her in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by Fosler. Spencer forced Fosler's truck off the road, and after an altercation, called 911 to report that he had shot the man.
Legal Arguments
Prosecutors argued that Spencer planned the killing and could have called police while pursuing Fosler. However, Spencer pleaded not guilty, maintaining that he acted to protect his child from a predator.
Spencer's attorney, Erin Cassinelli, expressed gratitude for the court's decision. “No member of this family should ever again be forced to walk into a courtroom and relive this horror,” she said in a statement. “This father should have never been charged for protecting his child.”
Spencer said he is grateful that this chapter is over and that his focus is now on his family and returning to normal life. “There’s still work to do in Lonoke County, and I’m more committed to it than ever,” he said. “Together we can build a safer and stronger Lonoke County.”
Evidence Issues
The dismissal was prompted by the loss of a dash camera memory card from Fosler's truck. According to court records, a detective with the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office removed the dash camera from the truck at the scene. However, the camera's internal settings were not preserved, and the battery was allowed to drain, causing the camera to revert to default settings. When the camera was sent to the attorney general's office for forensic examination, the memory card that had been in it when collected was missing. The detective later admitted that the camera was not logged into evidence immediately but was stored in his personal office rather than the evidence room.
Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Graham did not respond to requests for comment on the decision.
Spencer has made his daughter's experience with the criminal justice system a central part of his campaign for sheriff, pledging to establish a dedicated team to combat sex crimes against children.
