Arkansas
Arkansas dad shoots, kills man found with his missing 14-year-old daughter, authorities say
Aaron Spencer was taken into custody and charged with first degree murder, a Class Y felony. He has since posted bail and been released.
A central Arkansas father has been charged with first-degree murder after finding his missing underage daughter in the car with a man, then shooting and killing the man.
The shooting happened in Lonoke County, about 75 miles northeast of Hot Springs.
Someone called the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office around 1:12 Tuesday morning about a missing juvenile, the sheriff’s office said in a news release on Facebook. The girl is 14 years old and the man who was shot is in his 60s, Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley confirmed to USA TODAY Friday afternoon.
While deputies were on their way to the home, someone called to let them know that a father, Aaron Spencer, had found his daughter with a man named Michael Fosler, authorities said.
The two had a “confrontation,” and Fosler was shot and later pronounced dead at the scene.
Spencer was taken into custody and taken to the Lonoke County Detention Center. According to online jail records, 36-year-old Spencer was released at 1:12 p.m. on Wednesday.
He is facing a “preliminary charge” of first degree murder, a Class Y felony, the sheriff’s office said. Class Y felonies normally carry a sentence of at least 10 years and no more than 40 years, or life in prison, according to legal website Justia.
Sheriff Staley said in a video posted on Facebook that the investigation is ongoing so authorities are only releasing limited details. The prosecutor will determine what charges will be filed and no official charges have been filed yet, Staley said.
“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.”
Investigation: 13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he’s still missing.
Shooter posts bail; family trying to secure lawyer
A woman identifying herself as the girl’s mother, Heather Spencer, shared a series of updates on Facebook after the incident. She confirmed that the family was able to post bail and get Spencer out of jail, but they started a fundraiser to retain a lawyer.
“We are private people, so all of this being public has been very difficult,” Spencer shared on Facebook Wednesday afternoon.
In her post, she said the family had a no-contact order in place for Fosler due to stalking.
Man killed was arrested earlier this year
The man who was shot, Fosler, had been arrested by another agency in July and booked for internet stalking of a child and sexual assault, Sheriff Staley told USA TODAY Friday afternoon.
“This guy that preyed upon their daughter was released on bond, and we had stopped him that night and got him with her,” he 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.”
She said her family thought Fosler had taken their daughter to kill her. Her daughter is a victim, and her family has a long road to recovery ahead of them, she said.
“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.”
“Some things we will never know, but we know that the police department afforded this predator privacy they did not give our family,” she wrote. “I’m deeply offended by the way this was handled by the county sheriff’s office.”
‘I absolutely do not support predators’
Sheriff Staley told USA TODAY Friday afternoon that he knows the girl’s mother is hurt and scared.
“I absolutely do not support predators,” he said. “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.”
He said his investigators are trying to figure out what happened that day leading to the man’s death.
“When we get on scene and there’s a homicide, it means one person took the life of another,” Staley said. “It’s either justified or not justified. That’s what the fact finding, that’s what the investigation is going to find out.”
The murder charge against Aaron Spencer, the shooter and girl’s father, is a preliminary charge but it’s not official, Staley said.
Fundraiser for legal funds was removed by GoFundMe
The girl’s mother also claimed that GoFundMe, the platform they were using to collect money for legal purposes, was returning funds to donors and eventually said the fundraiser had been closed altogether. Instead, she is collecting money on Venmo and Cash App.
A GoFundMe spokesperson told USA TODAY Friday afternoon that GoFundMe’s Terms of Service prohibit fundraisers that raise money for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with “an alleged violent crime.”
“Consistent with this long-standing policy, the fundraiser has been removed from our platform and donations have been refunded,” the fundraising platform said in its statement.
On Thursday morning, Spencer thanked community members. She also thanked the other victims who reached out to her with claims that the same man attacked them.
“We have gotten a clear picture of a predator who continuously worked with children and preyed on young girls,” Spencer wrote. “This man was Chief of police in Indiana and resource officer, giving us a better idea of why the Lonoke county courts have been protecting him and going after my husband.”
She said the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office’s actions are proof that the sheriff “supports predators” and that he will prosecute those who are trying to protect their families.
“My husband is a hero and we are so thankful to have him home with us for now,” Spencer wrote Thursday morning. “We want to do everything possible to ensure he can continue to be here to protect us.”
In a final post on Friday morning, she shared that she is overwhelmed by the support community members have shown their family. Her family plans to open a bank account to raise funds as well.
“Donations are wonderful and needed but despite the legal fight this has been the most traumatic event of our families life, all of us, so please just keep us in your prayers and add us to your prayer chains,” Spencer wrote.
‘I don’t file charges’: Sheriff says investigation is underway
The sheriff stressed that he doesn’t have the authority some people think he does.
“I don’t file charges,” he said, adding that the prosecuting attorney handles that. “We’re in consultation with the prosecuting attorney about what to do in this preliminary stage. All my deputies and investigators knew at that time is there’s a deceased man, a 14-year-old that was in the truck with him, and a dad saying ‘Hey, I stopped him for this.’”
Sheriff Staley said investigators were interviewing people Friday and have been all week to get the facts.
“We’re going to get this wrapped up as expeditiously as we can, and get the file faxed and over to the prosecutor so he can make an informed decision,” Staley said.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
FAYETTEVILLE – Malique Ewin scored 21 points, making 8-of-9 from the field – including his first career 3-pointer – and 4-of-4 from the line, while Karter Knox posted his second double-double of the season, with 17 points and 10 rebounds, to lead the 21st-ranked Razorbacks to a 115-61 victory over Jackson State Friday night at Bud Walton Arena.
Arkansas also got outstanding performances from D.J. Wagner (16 points on 6-of-6 shooting with seven assists) and Billy Richmond III (14 points with three highlight-reel dunks in the first half. Meleek Thomas added 13 points while Darius Acuff Jr. and Isaia Sealy each scored 10 points.
Arkansas put the game out of reach with a 24-0 run that spanned the end of the first half into the start of the second. The Hogs also had a 22-6 run midway through the second half to lead 89-33 with 9:50 left.
The Razorbacks shot 63.9% from the field for the game – 74.2% in the second half – thanks to a season-high 16 dunks. (Arkansas entered the game with 24 dunks in the first five games combined.)
Ewin had five of the 16 dunks and the senior made his first career 3-pointer. (He is now 1-of-2 from deep for his career.) Richmond and Knox each added three dunks.
Tamarion Hoover led Jackson State with 19 points, making 4-of-9 from 3-point range.
Up next, Arkansas will travel to Chicago to face #5 Duke for the CBS Thanksgiving Classic on Thursday (Nov. 27). Tipoff at the United Center is set for 7 pm (CT), and the game will be televised on CBS.
FIRST HALF: ARK: 47 – JSU: 19
- Arkansas went on a 14-2 run to race out to a 22-9 lead. Jackson State was 1-of-9 from the field over the stretch.
- After Jackson State made a 3-pointer to cut their deficit to 12 (31-19), Arkansas closed the half on a 16-0 run to lead 47-19. The run started before the Tigers’ triple and was a 20-3 run over the final 6:43.
- Arkansas shot 53% from the field while holding Jackson State to 21% shooting.
- Jackson State had nine turnovers thanks to seven Arkansas steals.
- Billy Richmond III led Arkansas with 10 points, including three dunks.
- The last time Arkansas held an opponent to fewer than 20 points in the first half was UMES last season (11/26/24) with 15.
SECOND HALF: ARK: 68 – JSU: 42
- Arkansas opened the second half on an 18-4 run, including an 8-0 spurt at the start of the frame.
- From the 15-minute mark to the 9:29 mark, Arkansas out-scored the Tigers 22-6.
- Arkansas had zero turnovers in the second half with 14 assists. Arkansas forced 11 second-half turnovers.
- Ewin scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half. He was 7-of-8 from the field.
- Arkansas scored 68 points in the second half. The last time it scored at least 60 in a half was getting 60 in the first half versus Maryland-Eastern Shore last season (11/26/24).
NOTES:
- Arkansas’ starting lineup was Darius Acuff Jr., D.J. Wagner, Karter Knox, Trevon Brazile and Nick Pringle. It was the first time for this starting lineup and the fourth starting lineup overall.
- JSU’s Dorian McMillian scored the game’s first points, a layup at 18:23. Nick Pringle scored Arkansas’s first points with two free throws at 18:05.
- Arkansas’s first subs were Meleek Thomas and Billy Richmond III.
- Arkansas is 13-0 all-time versus Jackson State.
- Arkansas improves to 142-6 all-time when scoring at least 100 points. Coach Calipari is 48-0 all-time when scoring at least 100 points.
- Coach Cal is now 18 wins shy of 900 as head coach of a Division I program.
- Arkansas entered the game 8th in the NCAA in fastbreak points (23.6 ppg). The Hogs had 34 fastbreak points, compared to four by the Tigers. The 34 fastbreak points is the most in a game since the stat has been tracked (2011-12) with the previous high being 32 vs Southern this year and UCA in 2021. (HogStats.com)
For more information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
It’s been a wild week for Texas Football. First, they were dominated by the Georgia Bulldogs. Then speculation over Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian job status became so overwhelming, Sark had to make not one, but two public statements.
Texas has a very, very slim chance at the college football playoff, but a lot has to go right for that to happen. Whatever happens around them, all the Horns can control is their own performance. Texas has to win, especially against a 2-8 Razorbacks team that has seen their coach fired this season.
If the Longhorns don’t win at home against the Hogs, Texas is staring down a 7-5 record that will turn this season from disappointing to complete disaster.
There are some interesting matchups in this game and the Hogs have some good players dotted around their lineup, including quarterback Taylen Green. But ultimately, the Longhorns have to focus on themselves.
Texas’ offense has been inconsistent all season and the running game has been the worst in decades. Many of the causes stem from an offensive line that has struggled in almost every game. The Horns defense has been good at times, but they have also been picked apart like they were last week in Georgia.
Sarkisian and his team need to look inward if they want to salvage what so far has been a very disappointing 2025.
Tommy Bresee Prediction:
Following the Georgia blowout, the confidence around the Longhorns is at a season-low. Arkansas comes into Austin this weekend, with a 3-7 record but one of the most dangerous QBs and offenses in the country. Taylen Green is capable of taking over this game if the Texas defense isn’t prepared to keep him in check. However, returning to home turf should bring the Longhorns defense back to level.
On the other side, there is little reason the Texas offense shouldn’t have a great day. Arch Manning has been incredible the last month and this is a defense that has allowed most every QB they’ve played to have a career day. I expect the same from Arch Manning here and the Texas offense is able to score in bunches. That, combined with my belief the defense will have a bounce back performance makes me think the Longhorns are able to get a rather comfortable win here.
Final score: Texas 38, Arkansas 24
Jamie Gatlin Prediction:
After a disappointing loss at Georgia last weekend, Texas is back in action on Saturday afternoon against Arkansas. This game represents the perfect bounce-back opportunity.
Through ten games, Arkansas is 2-8. The Longhorns will need a much better performance from Arch Manning and the offense. If Manning can return to form, then this is a game Texas should win easily.
Final score: Texas 28, Arkansas 14
Trey Luerssen Prediction:
Does this Texas team heart? Texas has certainly shown heart at times this season. Comebacks at Kentucky and Mississippi State have certainly shown the Longhorns are quitters. But against Georgia, there seemed to be a few white flags raised after the Bulldogs surprise onside kick in the fourth quarter.
But that’s within a game. What about when the season-long goal is dashed? When the preseason No. 1 team in the nation is all but eliminated from the CFP with two games to go? Does Texas have the heart to go beat a team they should destroy, while all the noise of coaching rumors and fan angst swirls around them?
I saw this team does have heart. I think they might play their best game of the year on Saturday. Free of the pressure of expectation, Texas can just go out and play.
Final score: Texas 42, Arkansas 24
Louisiana heads to Jonesboro looking to extend its late-season push, while Arkansas State tries to lock up bowl eligibility after dropping a tight one to Southern Miss.
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The Ragin’ Cajuns arrive with a run-heavy identity and back-to-back wins, but they’re slight underdogs against a Red Wolves team that has taken four of its last five.
With both defenses leaking yardage and rain in the forecast, this matchup tilts toward whichever offense handles the conditions and protects the ball better.
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What our Post expert thinks about Louisiana vs. Arkansas State
Arkansas State’s Jaylen Raynor has topped 2,450 passing yards with a 68.2% completion rate, giving the Red Wolves one of the Sun Belt’s steadier aerial attacks.
Louisiana’s defense has struggled to contain the run, allowing 192.6 yards per game and 22 rushing touchdowns, a troubling matchup against an opponent that leans on balance.
And with Louisiana averaging 186 rushing yards per outing and controlling possession for 38 minutes in its last win, the Cajuns’ ability to dictate tempo could become the decisive swing factor.
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