Judge drops murder charge against Arkansas sheriff candidate who killed a man

A judge has dropped the murder charge against Arkansas sheriff candidate Aaron Spencer, who killed a man accused of sexually abusing his daughter.

A judge has dropped the murder charge against an Arkansas sheriff candidate who killed a man accused of sexually abusing his daughter.

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Aaron Spencer was charged with second-degree murder in the October 2024 killing of Michael Fosler, 67, who had been charged with sexually abusing Spencer’s 13-year-old daughter.

On Thursday, a judge dismissed the murder case against Spencer after ruling that the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office mishandled evidence. Law enforcement’s conduct was “so egregious” that it warranted the dismissal, Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. said in his ruling.