Army veteran and sheriff candidate Aaron Spencer has had murder charges dismissed after an Arkansas judge ruled that law enforcement mishandled key evidence in the case.
Spencer was charged with second-degree murder for the October 2024 shooting death of 67-year-old Michael Fosler, who had previously faced sexual offense charges involving Spencer’s teenage daughter.
Prosecutors said Spencer forced Fosler’s truck off the road and later called 911, admitting he had shot him. However, Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. dismissed the case after finding police lost a crucial SD card that may have contained dash-camera footage, severely impacting Spencer’s right to a fair trial.
The judge called the law enforcement errors “egregious” and said dismissal was warranted. Spencer, who admitted shooting Fosler but pleaded not guilty to murder, had been scheduled to stand trial on June 22.
Following the ruling, Spencer’s attorney said the family should never have been forced to relive the ordeal, adding, “This father should have never been charged for protecting his child.”