Murder charge against candidate for Arkansas sheriff dismissed

Digital Media Manager

A murder charge against a man running for a county sheriff’s seat in Arkansas was dismissed on Thursday, court documents show.

Aaron Spencer was accused of killing Michael Fosler, 67, in 2024.

Spencer had reported his daughter missing. He later found her with Fosler, who at the time was out on bond facing multiple charges tied to an alleged sexual assault.

Authorities say Spencer chased and stopped Fosler’s vehicle before opening fire.

However, video from a dash cam on Fosler’s vehicle went missing while in the sheriff’s office custody, a judge found.

The SD card that recorded the video wasn’t originally listed in discovery documents and disappeared by the time it was supposed to go to attorneys.

“This establishes a pattern of policy and procedural violations and gives the appearance of a coverup,” the judge wrote.

The judge dismissed the charge.

“The court finds that conduct by law enforcement was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted,” the judge wrote.

Spencer won the Republican Party nomination and will be on the ballot in the November general election.