An Arkansas father has been arrested after allegedly killing a man he found with his missing daughter, sparking a social media outcry from his wife over the charges he now faces.
According to the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to Aaron Spencer’s home after he reported his 14-year-old daughter missing on Tuesday, October 8, as reported by PEOPLE. While officers were en route, Spencer, 36, discovered his daughter in a vehicle with 67-year-old Michael Fosler. A confrontation ensued between the two men, resulting in Fosler being fatally shot.
“Deputies immediately initiated an investigation. Michael Fosler was pronounced dead at the scene, and Aaron Spencer was taken into custody,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement, according to TooFab. Spencer is now facing a “preliminary charge” of first-degree murder, a Class Y felony, and has been booked into the Lonoke County Detention Center.
Sheriff John Staley emphasized that the final charges will be determined by the prosecutor, stating, “I have not, nor will I, advocate for any specific charge. This is a tragic situation, and my thoughts and prayers are with all those involved,” per USA Today.
Spencer has since posted bail and was released on Wednesday, October 9. While police have provided limited information due to the ongoing investigation, a woman named Heather Spencer, who identifies herself as Aaron Spencer’s wife and the mother of the 14-year-old, has taken to social media to share her perspective.
Heather revealed that the family has started an online fundraiser to cover legal fees, stating in a post that they are “private people” and that the public nature of the situation has been difficult. She added that the family has been “overwhelmed with the amount of love and support [they] have received since this incident.”
In a since-deleted GiveSendGo campaign, Heather made serious allegations, claiming her daughter had been “targeted, groomed, and ultimately raped by the boyfriend of a family friend,” referring to Fosler. She stated that Fosler had pending charges and was under a “no contact order” but had reached out to her daughter while free on bond.
Heather also explained that their daughter’s disappearance was discovered after the family dog woke them up, which she described as “unusual.” “In that moment, we lived every parent’s biggest fear as we realized our teen child was missing,” Heather wrote, according to The Independent. “My husband immediately got into his truck to go blindly searching for our child.”
She credited “God’s never failing grace” for her husband being able to locate Fosler. Heather described the confrontation, saying, “As soon as the predator knew my husband was behind him, he ran. The chase ended in an accident. Aaron was able to retrieve our child alive, but in the process, he was attacked and did what he had to do to protect himself and our minor child.”
Heather also expressed frustration with the justice system, writing, “We let the justice system do its job. The monster who hurt our child was charged quickly, but released even faster on a $50k bond,” referring to Fosler’s release despite facing charges for internet stalking of a child and sexual assault.
Sheriff Staley confirmed to USA Today that Fosler had been arrested in July on charges of internet stalking and sexual assault. “This guy that preyed upon their daughter was released on bond… He would have never gotten out of jail. None of the bond companies would have let him out,” Staley said, explaining that Fosler’s bond would have been revoked had he been caught with the child earlier.
However, Heather took issue with the handling of the situation by the sheriff’s office, posting on Facebook: “Some things we will never know, but we know that the police department afforded this predator privacy they did not give our family. Including posting our home address. I’m deeply offended by the way this was handled by the county sheriff’s office.”
In response, Sheriff Staley reiterated that he does not support predators but explained that any investigation involving a homicide requires determining whether the killing was justified. “When we get on scene and there’s a homicide, it means one person took the life of another. It’s either justified or not justified. That’s what the investigation is going to find out.”
As the investigation continues, Aaron Spencer has been released on bail, and Heather concluded her post by stating, “My husband is a hero, and we are so thankful to have him home with us for now. We want to do everything possible to ensure he can continue to be here to protect us.”
Authorities are still working to determine the full circumstances of what happened that day.
