Father accused of murdering his 14-year-old daughter’s rapist WINS primary race to become county sheriff
A father accused of killing the man who allegedly raped and abducted his teenage daughter has won the Republican primary for county sheriff in Arkansas – despite him still awaiting trial for murder.
Aaron Spencer, 37, secured 53.5 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s Republican primary for Lonoke County sheriff, defeating longtime incumbent John Staley, who received 26.5 percent, according to the Arkansas Secretary of State. A third candidate, David Bufford, received nearly 20 percent.
The result puts Spencer in the unusual position of potentially becoming the top law enforcement officer in the same county that charged him with murder.
But his criminal case remains unresolved.
Spencer has been accused of fatally shooting Michael Fosler, 67, in October 2024 after discovering the man with his teenage daughter.
Fosler had been out on $50,000 bail while facing 43 criminal charges involving the girl, including internet stalking of a child, sexual assault, sexual indecency with a child and possession of child pornography.
Spencer has admitted to shooting Fosler but pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.
The case began shortly after midnight on October 8, 2024, when Spencer and his wife, Heather Spencer, 38, discovered their daughter missing from her bedroom at the family’s farm in Cabot, Arkansas.
Aaron Spencer is now the top Republican pick for his county’s sheriff position – despite being on trial for murder
Aaron Spencer, 37, pictured with his wife, Heather, secured 53.5 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s Republican primary for Lonoke County sheriff while still awaiting trial for murder
Michael Fosler (pictured) was charged and booked with rape and internet stalking of a child on July 11, 2024 but was released quickly on a $50,000 bond and then kidnapped Spencer’s daughter
The parents called 911 but soon began searching the area themselves after realizing their daughter may have been with Fosler – a man police say had previously groomed and raped the girl and was the boyfriend of a family friend.
Fosler had been arrested months earlier in July 2024 on charges including rape and internet stalking of a child but was later released on bond despite a no-contact order barring him from contacting the teenager.
Heather said she had feared the worst.
‘I tell 911 that this man may be involved and as I’m speaking, I’m realizing that if he does have her, I’ll probably never see her again,’ she said.
After driving roughly 10 miles, Spencer spotted Fosler’s vehicle with their daughter in the passenger seat, according to court documents.
The father made a U-turn and pursued the vehicle, eventually rear-ending it and forcing it off the road.
Spencer later told police he saw his daughter attempting to escape before Fosler grabbed her.
He ordered the man to get out of the car, but Fosler allegedly lunged toward him while shouting ‘f**k you,’ though authorities have not confirmed whether Fosler was armed.
Moments later, Spencer opened fire until he ran out of bullets, then jumped on the man and pistol-whipped him, according to police.
Spencer has admitted shooting Fosler but pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder
He then called 911 and reported that his daughter’s kidnapper was ‘dead on the side of the road,’ saying he had ‘no choice’ but to shoot him.
Prosecutors initially charged Spencer with first-degree murder, but the charge was later reduced to second-degree murder.
His trial was originally scheduled for January, but it has been postponed after the Arkansas Supreme Court recused the original judge, with a retired judge now overseeing the case. A new trial date has not yet been set.
Spencer has framed his campaign around the case, saying the experience exposed failures in the justice system when it comes to protecting children.
‘I did what any good father would do,’ Spencer told CNN in a recent interview.
He said hearing similar stories from other families convinced him to run for sheriff.
‘I saw all the things that were happening – not just with my own case but with other people that reached out and shared their stories,’ he said. ‘I felt called to do it.’
His wife has strongly defended his actions.
‘What parent is going to say, “Hey, 911. We called you a minute ago, but it turns out I found her with the guy who’s been assaulting her for months. And they took a left on the highway. I hope you can find him?”‘ she said.
Fosler kidnapped their daughter on October 8. Aaron (pictured) got into his truck to find the 14-year-old after calling 911
‘You kind of assume the risk that somebody is going to shoot you when you rape children.’
Heather also described her husband as a devoted father and former Army soldier who acted to save their child.
‘You really couldn’t ask for a better husband or father,’ she said. ‘His support and love for his family is strong and unwavering.’
The case has drawn national attention, with supporters hailing Spencer as a hero who protected his child and critics warning that the shooting raises troubling questions about vigilante justice.
Online petitions demanding the charges against him be dropped have gathered more than 350,000 signatures, and a state gun rights group has taken up his cause.
The controversy has also divided voters in Lonoke County.
Some residents say they sympathize with Spencer as a father who believed the legal system had failed his family.
Others have expressed concern about electing a sheriff who is currently facing a murder charge.
Heather said her daughters’ life was in danger when she was abducted, and that her husband, a former Army soldier, did what any parent would have done to save their child
Incumbent sheriff John Staley, who has served in law enforcement for more than two decades, conceded the race early Wednesday.
‘Serving as your sheriff for the past 13 years has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,’ he wrote on Facebook. ‘Tonight, the voters made their decision, and I respect the decision.’
If Spencer were to be convicted before the general election, county Republicans would need to select a new nominee for sheriff.
