Arkansas man charged with murder runs for Lonoke County sheriff

An Arkansas man charged with second-degree murder announced he is running for sheriff of Lonoke County on Oct. 10, about four months before his scheduled trial on an October 2024 killing. Aaron Spencer, a county resident and military veteran, posted a campaign video on his Facebook page saying his bid is aimed at restoring trust in law enforcement after what he described as failures in the system.

Spencer is accused of fatally shooting 67-year-old Michael Fosler after finding Fosler in a vehicle with Spencer's 14-year-old daughter, authorities say. Court records show Fosler was arrested in July 2024 and faced dozens of felony counts related to the girl, including sexual assault and internet stalking of a child. According to an affidavit, Spencer reported his daughter missing, then followed and rammed Fosler's pickup truck, forcing it into a ditch. The affidavit says Spencer confronted Fosler, who charged at him with an object in his hand, and Spencer opened fire. Spencer later called 911 and told operators Fosler was dead and that he had no choice, the records show.

Spencer begins a pretrial hearing on Dec. 16, with his trial scheduled to start Jan. 26, 2026, court documents...