Arkansas Judge Tosses Murder Charge Against Sheriff Nominee Over Lost Dash-Cam Evidence
Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. dismissed the second-degree murder charge against Aaron Spencer on Thursday, June 4, 2026, citing law-enforcement mishandling of a dash-camera memory card in Lonoke County, Arkansas.[1]
Wilson wrote that the conduct was "so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted." CBS A Lonoke County Sheriff's Office detective removed a dash camera from victim Michael Fosler's truck but failed to log it into evidence.[1] The detective stored the camera in his personal office and let the battery drain until the device reset.[1] When the camera reached the Arkansas attorney general's office for forensic examination, the internal memory card present at collection was missing.[1] Wilson's dismissal came weeks before Spencer's scheduled June 22 trial.[1]
In March 2026, Spencer won the Republican nomination for Lonoke County sheriff over a three-term incumbent who had earlier had him arrested.[1] The Arkansas Supreme Court removed the original trial judge, Barbara Elmore, in January after finding she issued an overly broad gag order that violated Spencer's rights, and Wilson was assigned.[1]
Prosecutors had argued Spencer planned the killing and could have called police while pursuing Michael Fosler.[1] Spencer said he acted to protect his daughter and issued a statement thanking local, state and international supporters for carrying his family.[1] Defense attorney Erin Cassinelli said, "no member of this family should ever again be forced to walk into a courtroom and relive this horror." CBS She added, "this father should have never been charged for protecting his child." CBS
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📌 Key Facts
- Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. dismissed the second-degree murder charge against Aaron Spencer on Thursday, June 4, 2026, citing law-enforcement mishandling of a dash camera memory card and writing that the conduct was "so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted" (Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr.).
- A Lonoke County Sheriff's Office detective removed the dash camera from victim Michael Fosler's truck, failed to log it into evidence immediately, stored it in his personal office where the battery drained and the device reset, and the internal memory card present at collection was missing when the camera reached the Arkansas attorney general's office for forensic examination (Lonoke County Sheriff's Office detective).
- Wilson's dismissal came just weeks before a June 22, 2026 trial date that had been scheduled for Spencer (June 22, 2026 trial date).
- Spencer won the Republican nomination for Lonoke County sheriff in March 2026 over a three-term incumbent who had previously had him arrested, and Lonoke County has roughly 76,000 residents (Republican nomination for Lonoke County sheriff).
- On June 4 Spencer issued a public statement thanking local, state and international supporters, saying community support "carried our family" and promising to spend the rest of his life trying to live up to it; defense attorney Erin Cassinelli said "no member of this family should ever again be forced to walk into a courtroom and relive this horror" and that "this father should have never been charged for protecting his child" (Erin Cassinelli).
- Prosecutors had argued that Spencer planned the killing and could have called police while pursuing Michael Fosler, a theory that contrasted with Spencer's self-defense claim that he acted to protect his daughter from a "predator" (Michael Fosler).
- The Arkansas Supreme Court removed the original trial judge, Barbara Elmore, from the case in January for issuing an overly broad gag order that violated Spencer's rights, leading to Wilson's assignment (Barbara Elmore).
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- CBS reports that Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. dismissed the second-degree murder charge against Aaron Spencer on Thursday afternoon, June 4, 2026, just weeks before a June 22 trial date, explicitly citing law-enforcement mishandling of a dash camera memory card.
- Wilson's written order said law-enforcement conduct was 'so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted,' a direct characterization of the evidence loss.
- New detail on the evidence mishandling: a Lonoke County Sheriff's Office detective removed the dash camera from victim Michael Fosler's truck, failed to log it into evidence immediately, stored it in his personal office, let the battery drain so the device reset to default settings, and the internal memory card present at collection was missing when the camera reached the Arkansas attorney general's office for forensic examination.
- The article restates that Spencer won the Republican nomination for Lonoke County sheriff in March 2026 over a three-term incumbent whose office had arrested him, and notes Lonoke County has roughly 76,000 residents.
- Spencer issued a new public statement on June 4 thanking local, state and international supporters, saying community support 'carried our family' and promising to spend the rest of his life trying to live up to it.
- Defense attorney Erin Cassinelli released a new statement saying 'no member of this family should ever again be forced to walk into a courtroom and relive this horror' and that 'this father should have never been charged for protecting his child.'
- The report reiterates prosecutors' theory that Spencer planned the killing and could have called police while pursuing Fosler, contrasting it with Spencer's self-defense narrative centered on protecting his daughter from a 'predator.'
- The article notes that the Arkansas Supreme Court had earlier removed the original trial judge, Barbara Elmore, from the case in January for issuing an overly broad gag order that violated Spencer's rights, leading to Wilson's assignment.