A judge dismissed a second-degree murder charge against Arkansas sheriff candidate Aaron Spencer on Thursday after prosecutors’ evidence fight and findings that law enforcement misconduct was “so egregious” the case had to be thrown out.
An Arkansas dad who became a national headline for launching a sheriff campaign while facing a murder case walked into court with a goal: get the charge thrown out. On Thursday, he won.
A judge dismissed the second-degree murder charge against Aaron Spencer. ruling that dismissal was warranted after a lengthy fight over missing evidence. Spencer’s attorneys argued investigators lost key materials during the case. and the judge concluded law enforcement misconduct “was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted.”.
The decision landed with timing that mattered: Spencer had been set to go to trial on June 22, and he had spent nearly two years fighting the allegation. The dismissal clears the path in his murder prosecution as he continues his political push.
Spencer is accused of fatally shooting Michael Fosler in October 2024. At the time of the shooting, Fosler was facing dozens of child sex crime charges involving Spencer’s teenage daughter and was out on bond.
Spencer pleaded not guilty and maintained he was trying to protect his child.
The case drew national attention not only because of the allegations against Fosler. but because Spencer later announced he was running for sheriff in Lonoke County while the murder charge was still pending. Despite facing trial preparation earlier this year, Spencer won the Republican primary earlier this year.
With the second-degree murder charge dismissed, Spencer’s campaign and his courtroom fight have taken a dramatic turn—one that began with an evidence dispute and ended with a judge saying the misconduct reached the point where the prosecution could not continue.
Aaron Spencer Arkansas Lonoke County sheriff murder case dismissed second-degree murder charge Michael Fosler October 2024 shooting missing evidence law enforcement misconduct June 22 trial date Republican primary