Dad accused of shooting his 13-year-old daughter's alleged rapist has murder charge dropped after police mistake
A dad accused of running his 13-year-old daughter's alleged rapist off the road and shooting him dead has had his murder charge dropped by a judge.
Aaron Spencer, 37, was informed his teenage daughter had allegedly been sexually assaulted multiple times by a person she met at a family friend’s house in July 2024.
Michael Fosler, 67, the alleged abuser, was arrested by police and hit with 43 charges, including internet stalking and possessing child pornography.
He was released on a $50,000 bond, before being fatally shot in October 2024.
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On the night Fosler was killed, Spencer discovered his daughter was missing from the family home, which prompted a search to find her.
The father located the alleged abuser driving with his daughter in the passenger seat, with Spencer said to have rammed the car off the road and shot at Fosler.
He then got his daughter to the safety of his car, before he called 911 and stated he had shot the man.
Despite the charges he was facing, Spencer won the Republican primary to run for Lonoke County Sheriff and is set to go up against the Democratic primary winner in the Fall.
Spencer was expected to go on trial in relation to a second-degree murder charge in the coming weeks after pleading not guilty to the crime, saying he acted to protect his child from a predator, as per court documents seen by People.
However, Lonoke County Sheriff's Office reportedly lost potential video evidence of the alleged shooting, which has led to a Special Circuit Court Judge dismissing the murder charge.
People reports that the defense argued the situation aligns with the 'bad faith' argument, which states: "1) efforts to conceal the existence of exculpatory information, its contents, or its destruction; 2) failing to adhere to rules and professional obligations; 3) deliberately omitting mention of evidence or omitting information from reports; and 4) failure to submit an item of evidence, denying its existence, failing to timely alert others to destruction of evidence, or misleading as to the circumstances."
Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. has dismissed the case as an 'extraordinary and extreme remedy'.
The dismissal states: "However, based on the totality of the circumstances and the unique, specific, and particular facts and circumstances of this case, the Court finds that conduct by law enforcement was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted."
Explaining why he is running for Lonoke County Sheriff, Spencer said in a campaign video: "Through my own fight for justice, I have seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court. And I refuse to stand by while others face these same failures.
"This campaign isn't about me. It's about every parent, every neighbor, every family who deserves to feel safe in their homes and safe in the community.
"It's restoring trust where neighbors know law enforcement is on their side and families know that they will not be left alone in a moment of need."
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org
Callum Jones