Aaron Spencer, the Republican nominee for sheriff in Lonoke County, Arkansas, said he is focused on “family and getting back to a normal life” after an Arkansas circuit judge dismissed a second-degree murder charge against him on Thursday.
“I’m grateful this chapter is closed,” Spencer said in a statement following the ruling. The 37-year-old U.S. Army combat veteran added that he is “more committed … than ever” to the political race he is favored to win, a campaign he launched while the criminal case against him was pending.
Spencer was charged in connection with the Oct. 8, 2024, shooting death of Michael Fosler, 67, in Lonoke, Arkansas. According to court records, Spencer woke at about 1 a.m. to find his then-13-year-old daughter missing from her bedroom. He went searching in his truck and found her in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by Fosler.
Spencer forced Fosler’s vehicle off the highway, records show. The two men had an altercation, after which Spencer shot Fosler and called first responders.
Fosler at the time was free on a $50,000 bond while facing more than 40 criminal charges, including sexual assault, sexual indecency with a child, possession of child abuse imagery and internet stalking of a child. Spencer’s daughter was the sole witness connected to Fosler’s charges.
Prosecutors alleged that Spencer intentionally and illegally murdered Fosler, arguing that the father could have contacted law enforcement rather than chasing Fosler and taking matters into his own hands. Spencer pleaded not guilty. Though he never denied fatally shooting Fosler, he maintained that his actions were legally taken to protect his daughter from a predator.
Arkansas State Circuit Judge Ralph Wilson dismissed the case on Thursday, citing the loss of a dashboard camera memory card in Fosler’s truck that may have contained video of the shooting. Wilson said the loss of the evidence “was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted” and also cited the case’s “unique, specific and particular facts and circumstances.”
Spencer’s statement also addressed those who supported him while the case was pending. “I want to thank the people … who stood with us when it would have been easier to look the other way,” the statement said, adding that “there’s still work to do in Lonoke” and that “together, we can build a safer and stronger … county.”
Spencer said he was motivated by his experience within the criminal justice system to seek the office of sheriff. In March, he defeated the incumbent Republican Sheriff John Staley — who oversaw Spencer’s arrest — in a closed party primary. Spencer now advances to a November general election against Democratic candidate Brian Mitchell Sr. in a heavily Republican county.