A judge on Thursday dismissed a murder charge against an Arkansas man who won the GOP nomination for sheriff while awaiting trial for the shooting death of his teenage daughter's alleged abuser.
On March 14, Aaron Spencer was elected as the Republican nominee for Lonoke County sheriff over a three‑term incumbent whose office had arrested Spencer when he was a law‑enforcement officer. The same night he won the primary, a prosecution team sought to charge him with second‑degree murder for the night‑time shooting of Michael Fosler, who had been out on bond after facing multiple sexual‑offense charges against Spencer’s 13‑year‑old daughter.
Spencer’s attorneys sued to have the case dropped, arguing that the dash‑camera footage from Fosler’s truck could exonerate his client. A detective from the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office removed the camera from the scene, but it was stored informally in a personal office rather than an evidence room, and the memory card that captured the incident was lost.
Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. declared that the mishandling of evidence and an overly broad gag order—issues that had led the Arkansas Supreme Court to replace the original judge—merited dismissal. “The court finds that conduct by law enforcement was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted,” he wrote.
In a statement, Spencer’s attorney Erin Cassinelli praised the ruling, saying “No member of this family should ever again be forced to walk into a courtroom and relive this horror.” He added that his focus now shifts back to family and community safety, pledging to build a stronger Lonoke County.
This development arrives just weeks before the November ballot, and highlights the growing scrutiny over prosecutorial practices, evidence handling and the role of law‑enforcement officers in civic life.
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