Arkansas man killed after finding man alone in car with missing ex’s daughter
A community is in shock and a parent could face life changing consequences after a late night event in Lonoke County, Arkansas.
It all started with what every parent fears: the middle of the night, when a child disappears.
As he awoke October 8, Aaron Spencer, a 36 year-old father, noticed that his 14 year old daughter was missing.
But the dog had been causing concern for Spencer and his wife, Heather, because the dog had been acting oddly.
They searched their home and yard for their daughter, but panic came in and there was no sign of her.
In a last ditch attempt to find his daughter, Spencer called the police, reporting his daughter missing.
Still, he took things into his own hands, rather than waiting for help.
It was late at night and Spencer had driven out to find his daughter.
In an invaluable moment, Spencer found his daughter but now he was not alone.
It made his heart race even faster, what he saw.
Michael Fosler, 67, was in the car with Spencer’s daughter, a man he knew all too well.
According to Fosler, he allegedly groomed and attacked the 13-year-old girl months before.
They’d arrested him, accused him of many offenses and he was due in court in December.
Fosler had been released on a $50,000 bond and with a strict no contact order, despite these allegations.
The man was back with Spencer’s daughter, but on that fateful night.
In what exactly happened next, we don’t know the exact facts, but Spencer and Fosler had a confrontation.
Investigators said passions boiled over and the situation went out of control.
The confrontation soon became tragic.
Fosler was dead and Spencer was in custody before deputies arrived too late.
Fighting circumstances were kept secret, but the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the fatality.
Fosler was stalking their daughter, Heather Spencer defended her husband on social media.
In a public Facebook post, she said we didn’t know this man was in contact with our child again.
She praised her husband, saying he was a guardian who had acted as every father would.
As the dust settled though, Spencer was about to be hit with a serious allegation.
But he had saved his daughter, and now he was on preliminary first degree murder charge, a serious charge with very serious consequences.
Spencer, meanwhile, has been released after posting a $150,000 bond, but his case has drawn public controversy.
Spencer has been praised by many people, who have said he was a hero for protecting his daughter.
“He saved his daughter!!,” one Facebook commentator echoed many of the sentiments of others. What a hero. He should not be in jail!”
Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley said the prosecutor is ultimately responsible for deciding whether to file formal charges.
At a press conference, Sheriff Staley described the situation as tragic and said no official charges had been filed.
Many are by his side, standing by his side, hoping he did what he must have done in the most impossible circumstances.