An Arkansas judge has dismissed a murder case against Army veteran and sheriff candidate Aaron Spencer, ruling that law enforcement’s handling of key evidence severely compromised his right to a fair trial.
Spencer had been charged over the 2024 shooting death of Michael Fosler, who had previously faced multiple sexual offence charges involving Spencer’s teenage daughter and was out on bail at the time.
The court found that the loss of an SD memory card from Spencer’s vehicle dash camera, which may have contained footage relevant to the case, significantly impaired his defence.
While Spencer admitted shooting Fosler, he pleaded not guilty and was due to stand trial later this month. The ruling comes after Spencer won the Republican primary race for sheriff, campaigning on promises to reform local law enforcement and the justice system.
