A 36-year-old Arkansas father was arrested earlier this month after authorities said he fatally shot a man he saw driving with his missing 14-year-old daughter.
Aaron Spencer, 36 was taken into custody on Oct. 8 on suspicion of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Michael Fosler, 67, Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley said. But a local gun rights group says the shooting is a case of self-defense — and a statement by the girl’s mother said that Fosler had groomed and raped the teen.
The sheriff said in a statement on Oct. 10 that the investigation is ongoing and prosecutors will be the ones who decide whether or not to formally charge Spencer.
“I have not, nor will I, advocate for any specific charge,” Staley said. “This is a tragic situation, and my thoughts and prayers are with all those involved.”
The Office of Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. As of Tuesday, court records did not show any criminal charges against Spencer.
According to a statement posted by the Gun Owners of Arkansas and attributed to Spencer’s wife, Heather Spencer, Fosler was the boyfriend of a family friend and had groomed and sexually assaulted her daughter earlier this year.
“Our family did not know this monster,” Heather Spencer said. “He just appeared in a place where our child should have been safe and got access to her phone number. And that’s all it took.”
Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office
Court records show that Fosler was charged in September with at least one felony in Lonoke County, though the details were sealed because the victim was a minor, and he pleaded not guilty. Staley told USA Today that Fosler was arrested by another law enforcement agency and booked on charges of internet stalking of a child and sexual assault.
Folser’s attorney at the time argued in a court filing that there was no probable cause to arrest him and accused authorities of acting unlawfully. He was released on bond and was scheduled to go on trial in December.
Fosler’s attorney did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
In a Facebook post, Heather Spencer wrote that Fosler had a no-contact order filed against him regarding the Spencers’ daughter.
She said in the statement on the Gun Owners of Arkansas website that she and her husband woke up in the middle of the night to their dog barking. They soon realized their daughter was missing and called 911 for help.
Aaron Spencer got into his truck to begin searching and by chance passed Fosler on the road. He saw his daughter in Fosler’s vehicle, Heather Spencer wrote.
“We 100% in the moment thought [Fosler] had taken her to kill her,” she wrote.
A confrontation between the two men resulted in the shooting that killed Fosler, the sheriff’s office said. Heather Spencer said her husband “was attacked and did what he had to do to protect himself” and their daughter.
“My husband is a combat veteran, who has always protected his country and family,” she said. “I have no doubt our child would have not come home if my husband hadn’t found her.”
Aaron Spencer was booked on a class Y felony, which according to Arkansas law carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison or maximum of life in prison. He was released on bond, according to Gun Owners of Arkansas, but his wife wrote on Facebook that she is “deeply offended” by how the incident was handled.
“At the end of the day, our daughter is a victim and we have a long road of recovery for everyone,” Heather Spencer wrote.
Staley told USA Today on Friday that he knows the girl’s mother is hurt and scared.
“I absolutely do not support predators,” Staley told the outlet. “I’m a daddy. I have three daughters. I know she’s hurt right now, but there’s absolutely nobody I would put ahead of our children, their children, my children.”
Gun Owners of Arkansas and the Spencers’ attorneys declined to comment on the case.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.
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