Arkansas Man Charged With Murder of His Daughter’s Molester Runs for County Sheriff Ahead of Trial

Key Points

An Arkansas man awaiting trial on a murder charge is campaigning to become the top law enforcement official in his county. With Primary Elections underway on 3 March 2026, the race has drawn national attention and sharply divided public opinion. Results are expected soon.

Aaron Spencer, a contractor and Army veteran from Lonoke County, Arkansas, has been charged with second degree murder in the October 2024 fatal shooting of 67-year-old Michael Fosler. Fosler had earlier been arrested and charged with 43 felony counts related to the alleged sexual abuse of Spencer’s then 13-year-old daughter, including sexual assault, internet stalking of a child and possession of child pornography.

Despite the pending criminal case, Spencer has entered the race for Lonoke County sheriff. The 37-year-old candidate voted for himself during early voting in the Republican primary, describing the experience as unusual. “It was so surreal seeing my name on the ballot,” Spencer told CNN.

In the strongly conservative county, where Donald Trump received nearly 76% of the vote in the 2024 presidential election, the winner of the Republican primary is widely expected to become sheriff. Spencer first announced his candidacy in September 2025.

Who is Spencer and What Did He Do?

Spencer, who served as a paratrooper in the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and deployed to Iraq in the late 2000s, has argued that leadership skills gained during his military service would translate to the sheriff’s role. His campaign platform focuses on protecting children from sexual predators and improving transparency in law enforcement.

“This campaign isn’t about me,” Spencer said in his announcement video. “It’s about every parent, every neighbor, every family who deserves to feel safe in their homes and safe in their community.”

Spencer has not denied shooting Fosler. Instead, he argues that his actions were driven by the need to protect his daughter after discovering she had gone missing late one night. According to court records cited by the Arkansas Times, Spencer called 911 after noticing his daughter was not in her room and suspecting she might be with Fosler.

He later told police that he located Fosler’s truck on a nearby road and forced it off the road after a chase. According to an arrest affidavit, Spencer exited his vehicle with a firearm and confronted Fosler. He told investigators that Fosler lunged toward him while shouting obscenities, prompting him to open fire.

Spencer has framed his actions as a response to what he describes as failures in the justice system. In a campaign announcement video, he said, “I’m the father who acted to protect his daughter when the system failed,” adding that he had “seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court,” according to reporting by The New York Times.

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Public Reactions to Spencer’s Candidacy

The case has generated intense debate in Lonoke County, where many residents have rallied behind Spencer. Several petitions calling for the charges against him to be dropped have circulated online, including one that gathered more than 380,000 signatures, CNN reported.

For some residents, the case resonates personally. Crystal Reed, a Lonoke County resident who said she had been sexually abused as a teenager, told CNN she voted for Spencer during early voting. “I was sexually assaulted multiple times … there was no one to protect me,” Reed said. “Luckily he was able to save his daughter.”

Another resident, Shelby Cooney, expressed a similar sentiment. “I don’t think anybody with a normal mind would (convict) him for saving his child,” she told CNN.

Yet others in the community have voiced concern that Spencer’s candidacy undermines legal principles. Cabot resident Lia Bell told CNN that while she sympathizes with his situation, the sheriff’s office requires impartial judgment. “He’s charged with murder,” Bell said. “As a law enforcement officer, I don’t want somebody that’s gonna be trigger happy … I want somebody that’s gonna take the emotion out of it and follow the law in every circumstance.”

The incumbent sheriff, John Staley, who has held the position for more than a decade, has also questioned Spencer’s candidacy. Spencer is challenging Staley in the Republican primary, even though deputies from Staley’s department arrested him after the 2024 shooting.

“You can’t learn this job on the fly. It’s not on the job training,” Staley told CNN. “Being a sheriff isn’t just about blue lights and going out and putting handcuffs on people. It’s about working the case files, having a team, leading that team, running the jail.”

Staley added that while the case has generated sympathy for Spencer, the legal questions remain unresolved. “I don’t know that hero would be the word I use,” he said. “I think that he did some things that he has to answer for.”

See Also: Kidnapped at Age 4, Stephen Johnson was Rescued—25 years Later he Joins the NYPD and Reunites with the Former Detectives who Once Saved him from a ‘Creepy’ Child Molester

Spencer's Trial and the Primary

Meanwhile, Spencer’s criminal case remains unresolved. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of second-degree murder, with an additional potential sentence for the use of a firearm.

His trial, originally scheduled for January 2026, was postponed after the Arkansas Supreme Court removed the presiding judge from the case and ordered that a special judge be appointed.

A new trial date has yet to be set. If Spencer ultimately wins the election but is later convicted of a felony, he would be barred from holding office under Arkansas law.

For now, Spencer says he is preparing for both the election and the legal battle ahead. Reflecting on the events that led to the shooting, he told CNN: “I did what any good father would do — just save and protect their child.”

[DS]

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