LONOKE COUNTY, AR – A 37-year-old man currently awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge regarding the fatal shooting of a man accused of sexually assaulting his teenaged daughter won the Republican primary for sheriff in Lonoke County, the same county where he’s currently being prosecuted.
On October 8th, 2024, Aaron Spencer’s wife called 911 to report their daughter missing at approximately 1:12 a.m., with Spencer reportedly getting into his vehicle to search the immediate area in hopes of locating his daughter.
During the early morning search, Spencer reportedly happened upon a vehicle owned by 67-year-old Michael Fosler, a man who’d bailed himself out of jail three months earlier in July of that year after being charged with stalking and raping his teen daughter.
Spencer reportedly saw Fosler inside the vehicle as well as his young daughter and began tailing the alleged child predator for approximately six miles before running Fosler’s vehicle off the road. Authorities say Spencer fired several rounds at the accused predator before pistol whipping him, later calling 911 himself to report that’s he’d fatally shot Fosler.
While Spencer believed his daughter was in imminent threat of another sexual assault at the hands of Fosler, or worse, and felt justified in his actions, prosecutors seemed to have thought otherwise and charged him with second-degree murder.
However, the state didn’t simply charge Spencer with Fosler’s murder, they also briefly achieved a gag order against Spencer and his attorneys from publicly discussing the aspects of the case, namely Fosler’s criminal allegations and connection to Spencer.
While the prosecutor’s office claimed the gag order was to protect the jury pool for Spencer’s upcoming trial, speculation loomed online that it was rushed to protect the judge who allowed Fosler to make bail, as the same judge who granted Fosler’s bail also approved the initial gag order.
Despite Fosler having abducted who were serve as the only direct witness in his then-upcoming trial for rape and stalking of a minor, Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Graham described Spencer’s alleged actions as akin to living “like the Wild West,” adding, “That’s not how we operate these days.”
In the latest update surrounding Spencer’s upcoming trial, which was delayed this past January and is slated for either an April or June start date, Spencer managed to win the Republican primary for sheriff of the very county he stands accused of murder in.
Speaking on the development, Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney Graham stated, “The delay that happened with the judge being removed, we were set to do this before the primaries, which we would, everybody would prefer to go ahead and get it done… Now assuming one of those two dates we try it plenty of time, you know, he would be - he wouldn’t go any further [in the election] if he’s convicted.”
In a statement shared by Spencer following his GOP nomination for sheriff, he said, “Lonoke County sent a clear message last night, and we’re just getting started. I’m running to restore accountability and integrity to the Sheriff’s Office, and the people of this county just showed they want the same thing. Let’s finish the job and build a safer, stronger Lonoke County together.”
On October 8th, 2024, Aaron Spencer’s wife called 911 to report their daughter missing at approximately 1:12 a.m., with Spencer reportedly getting into his vehicle to search the immediate area in hopes of locating his daughter.
During the early morning search, Spencer reportedly happened upon a vehicle owned by 67-year-old Michael Fosler, a man who’d bailed himself out of jail three months earlier in July of that year after being charged with stalking and raping his teen daughter.
Spencer reportedly saw Fosler inside the vehicle as well as his young daughter and began tailing the alleged child predator for approximately six miles before running Fosler’s vehicle off the road. Authorities say Spencer fired several rounds at the accused predator before pistol whipping him, later calling 911 himself to report that’s he’d fatally shot Fosler.
While Spencer believed his daughter was in imminent threat of another sexual assault at the hands of Fosler, or worse, and felt justified in his actions, prosecutors seemed to have thought otherwise and charged him with second-degree murder.
However, the state didn’t simply charge Spencer with Fosler’s murder, they also briefly achieved a gag order against Spencer and his attorneys from publicly discussing the aspects of the case, namely Fosler’s criminal allegations and connection to Spencer.
While the prosecutor’s office claimed the gag order was to protect the jury pool for Spencer’s upcoming trial, speculation loomed online that it was rushed to protect the judge who allowed Fosler to make bail, as the same judge who granted Fosler’s bail also approved the initial gag order.
Despite Fosler having abducted who were serve as the only direct witness in his then-upcoming trial for rape and stalking of a minor, Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Graham described Spencer’s alleged actions as akin to living “like the Wild West,” adding, “That’s not how we operate these days.”
In the latest update surrounding Spencer’s upcoming trial, which was delayed this past January and is slated for either an April or June start date, Spencer managed to win the Republican primary for sheriff of the very county he stands accused of murder in.
Speaking on the development, Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney Graham stated, “The delay that happened with the judge being removed, we were set to do this before the primaries, which we would, everybody would prefer to go ahead and get it done… Now assuming one of those two dates we try it plenty of time, you know, he would be - he wouldn’t go any further [in the election] if he’s convicted.”
In a statement shared by Spencer following his GOP nomination for sheriff, he said, “Lonoke County sent a clear message last night, and we’re just getting started. I’m running to restore accountability and integrity to the Sheriff’s Office, and the people of this county just showed they want the same thing. Let’s finish the job and build a safer, stronger Lonoke County together.”
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments