Arkansas Father Charged with First-Degree Murder After Confronting Man Found with His Missing 14-Year-Old Daughter

An Arkansas father is currently facing a first-degree murder charge after shooting a man in his 60s that he found with his missing 14-year-old daughter.

Around 1:12 a.m. on Tuesday, October 8th, the Lonoke Sheriff’s office received a call reporting the disappearance of a minor.  While authorities were on the way to the location, another call came in claiming that the girl’s father, Aaron Spencer, had found her with Michael Fosler, a man who had ties to the family.  According to reports, Spencer and Fosler got into a confrontation that led to a deadly shooting. As a result, Fosler was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sheriff John Staley confirmed that the 36-year-old father was taken into custody and sent to the Lonoke County Detention Center. However, he later posted bail and was released the following day. Currently, Spencer is facing a first-degree murder charge, which is a Class Y felony in Arkansas. If he is found guilty, the man could be sentenced to 10-40 years behind bars or potentially face life in prison.

Additionally, the girl’s mother, Heather Spencer, shared updates on Facebook about the situation. She revealed that the family had obtained a no-contact order against Fosler following past stalking incidents. The woman stated that the whole ordeal was terrifying and said that the family believed Fosler intended to harm their daughter. She added that they had no idea that Fosler was still in contact with their child.

“We absolutely called 911 during the entire event,” she wrote. “We had no idea this man was in contact with our child again. He was waiting 6-9 felonies for what he did, not 2. He was looking at the rest of his pathetic life in jail, and our daughter was the only witness.”

She added, “Some things we will never know, but we know that the police department afforded this predator privacy they did not give our family. I’m deeply offended by the way this was handled by the county sheriff’s office.”

Sheriff Staley confirmed that in July, Fosler had been previously arrested by another agency on internet stalking of a child and sexual assault charges.

“This guy that preyed upon their daughter was released on bond, and we had stopped him that night and got him with her,” Staley said. “That bond would have been revoked. He would have never got out of jail. None of the bond companies would have let him out. We wouldn’t let him out.”