Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. dismissed the case against Aaron Spencer on Thursday afternoon, just weeks before the trial was expected to begin on a charge of second-degree murder. In his written order, Wilson said the dismissal was necessary because a dash camera memory card that may have captured the shooting 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.
Spencer, who was awaiting trial when he ran for office, won the GOP nomination in March over a three-term incumbent sheriff — the same sheriff whose office had arrested him on the murder charge. Lonoke County, located in central Arkansas, has roughly 76,000 residents and is heavily Republican.
Spencer’s attorneys did not deny that he shot and killed Michael Fosler, 67, in 2024. According to court records cited by the Associated Press, Fosler was out on bond at the time after being charged with dozens of sexual offenses against Spencer’s then-13-year-old daughter.
The judge’s ruling effectively removes the criminal case that had shadowed Spencer’s campaign, though he still faces the possibility of a general election challenge in November. The incumbent sheriff he defeated in the primary was not named in court filings related to the evidence loss.