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An Arkansas judge has dismissed the murder charges against a local sheriff candidate and Army veteran accused of gunning down a man who allegedly sexually assaulted his teenage daughter.
Aaron Spencer was initially charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 67-year-old Michael Fosler in Lonoke County in October 2024.
According to court records obtained by Fox News Digital, Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. dismissed the charges against Spencer on Thursday.
Prosecutors previously alleged Spencer discovered Fosler alone with his teenage daughter inside Fosler’s pickup truck in the wee hours of the night on Oct. 8, 2024. Authorities said Spencer allegedly forced the vehicle off the road before calling 911 to report he had shot the 67-year-old.
Aaron Spencer announced his candidacy for sheriff in Arkansas one year after his arrest for allegedly shooting his teenage daughter's accused rapist. (Aaron Spencer/Facebook)
The judge cited law enforcement’s mishandling of dash-camera and SD card evidence from Spencer’s truck, adding a dismissal is "an extraordinary and extreme remedy" in any criminal case.
"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," the judge wrote.
Aaron Spencer is accused of killing a man suspected of preying on his daughter in Lonoke County, Arkansas. (Lonoke County Detention Center)
Spencer’s defense team argued that law enforcement lost the SD card possibly containing footage of the altercation, and did not provide documentation regarding when the item went missing or details surrounding its disappearance.
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The judge ruled that "the loss or destruction of the internal SD memory card of the dash camera has adversely impaired the Defendant's ability to defend himself pursuant to these defenses, and thus his right to a fair trial," according to court documents.
Sheriff John Staley said Aaron Spencer has not been formally charged and that the District Attorney’s Office will decide which charges to file in Lonoke. (Google Maps)
Fosler had previously been charged with "numerous sexual offenses" against Spencer’s teenage daughter and was out on bond at the time of the shooting, court records indicated.
In February, Spencer emerged as the winner of the Republican primary for Lonoke County sheriff after defeating the incumbent, in which he vowed to reform the county’s law enforcement agency.
"Through my own fight for justice, I have seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court," Spencer said in a previous campaign video. "And I refuse to stand by while others face these same failures."
While Spencer admitted to gunning down Fosler, he pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. The case was set to go to trial on June 22.
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Details regarding how the dismissal could impact his candidacy for sheriff have not yet been released.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office and Spencer’s defense team for comment.
Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.
