Aaron Spencer, an Arkansas man accused of killing his teenage daughter’s alleged abuser, won the Republican nomination for local sheriff while waiting to stand trial for murder in his rural county, where he ran on a message of seeing the failures of law enforcement.
Spencer defeated Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley in Tuesday’s primary elections, unofficial results posted by the Arkansas secretary of state showed.
He would not be able to serve if he is convicted of killing Michael Fosler, 67, who at the time was out on bond after being charged with numerous sexual offenses against Spencer’s then-13-year-old daughter.
Photo: AP
Spencer’s attorneys do not deny that he shot and killed Fosler, but say that he acted within the law to protect his child from a predator.
Spencer won more than 53 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting, the results showed.
Staley, whose department arrested Spencer in 2024, conceded the loss.
“Congratulations to Mr Spencer. Tonight the voters made their decision in the Republican primary and I respect the decision,” Staley wrote on Facebook.
Spencer in a statement said that his message of accountability resonated with voters.
“Tonight, the people of Lonoke County stood up and chose transparency and accountability,” Spencer said. “This wasn’t a campaign about me. It was about every family who called for help and got nothing. That betrayal ends tonight.”
He is to face Democrat Brian Mitchell Sr in the heavily Republican county in November.
Spencer has pleaded not guilty and is out on bond while awaiting trial, which was originally scheduled to start in January. The trial was delayed after the presiding judge was removed from the case. A new date has not been set.
Court documents show that on the night of the October 2024 shooting, Spencer woke up to find his daughter missing from her bedroom and went out in his truck to search for her. He found the girl in the passenger seat of a vehicle Fosler was driving. Spencer eventually forced Fosler’s truck off the highway and, after an altercation, called emergency services to report he had shot the man, records show.
Prosecutors say that Spencer had planned to kill Fosler even before that night and that he could have called police while pursuing Fosler.
Spencer’s attorney, Erin Cassinelli, wrote in an e-mail to reporters that the election results have no bearing on the facts of the case.
“Aaron Spencer did exactly what the law allows and exactly what any father would do: He protected his daughter and himself from harm,” Cassinelli said. “At some point, those responsible for this prosecution will have to reckon with that.”
Spencer on Facebook last month said that if elected, he would establish a dedicated team to combat sex crimes against children.
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