Arkansas
Arkansas father arrested after allegedly killing man he found with his missing 14-year-old daughter
An Arkansas father was arrested after allegedly shooting and killing a man who was found in a vehicle with the father’s missing 14-year-old daughter.
Aaron Spencer, 36, reported his daughter missing on Tuesday, and Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to his home.
But as deputies were on their way to the residence, they learned that Spencer had found his daughter in a vehicle with Michael Fosler, 67. A confrontation ensued between the two men before Spencer allegedly shot and killed Fosler.
Deputies arrested Spencer on a preliminary charge of first-degree murder, a Class Y felony. He was booked into the Lonoke County Detention Center before being released the next day after posting bail.
ARKANSAS COUPLE ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO SELL BABY FOR $1K, BEER BECAUSE CARING FOR BABY, 3 DOGS ‘WAS NOT WORKING’
Aaron Spencer, 36, was arrested on a preliminary charge of first-degree murder. (Lonoke County Detention Center)
Sheriff John Staley said in a video on Facebook that Spencer has not been formally charged yet and that the District Attorney’s Office will decide which charges to file.
“This is a tragic situation and my thoughts and prayers are with all involved,” Staley said.
Spencer’s wife, Heather, said on Facebook that Fosler had a “no contact order” with her daughter for stalking and raping the 14-year-old over the summer and that she and her husband feared he might kill her. She said that she and her husband were unaware Fosler was again in contact with her 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.”
“Some things we will never know, but we know that the police department afforded this predator privacy they did not give our family,” she continued. “Including posting our home address. I’m deeply offended by the way this was handled by the county [sheriff’s] office.”
The woman added: “At the end of the day, our daughter is a victim and we have a long road of recovery for everyone. We are so thankful for all the calls, messages and prayers.”
Sheriff John Staley said Aaron Spencer has not been formally charged yet and that the District Attorney’s Office will decide which charges to file. (iStock)
Fosler had been arrested by another law enforcement agency in July and booked for internet stalking of a child and sexual assault, Staley told USA TODAY.
“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.”
The sheriff said deputies are looking into what happened leading up to the shooting.
“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 child’s mother had set up a GoFundMe to pay for her husband’s legal fees, but GoFundMe removed the fundraiser and returned the money to donors. GoFundMe’s terms of service prohibit fundraisers from raising money for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with an alleged violent crime.
Because of this, the woman is now accepting money on Venmo and Cash App.
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Aaron Spencer’s wife, Heather, said that Michael Fosler had a “no contact order” with her daughter. (Getty Images)
“My husband is a hero and we are so thankful to have him home with us for now,” The woman wrote in a Thursday Facebook post. “We want to do everything possible to ensure he can continue to be here to protect us.”
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She also thanked other victims who reached out to her with allegations that Fosler attacked them.
“We have gotten a clear picture of a predator who continuously worked with children and preyed on young girls,” she 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.”
The incident remains under investigation.
After a cool/chilly morning that started in the 40s and 50s, Tuesday will warm to the upper 70s and low 80s with nothing but sunshine all day long.
There will be a weak front passing through Arkansas on Wednesday. There will briefly be a few clouds along the time the front actually passes through. But once the front clears, it will once again become sunny.
Starting Friday and lasting through the weekend and into next week a strong south wind will set up. That will warm Arkansas into the mid and upper 80s and introduce a higher level of humidity. It will feel a little like Summer this weekend. Rain chances will return to Central Arkansas starting on Sunday.
With a big upper-level system and cold front approaching early next week, the rain and thunderstorm chance will go up Monday, Monday night and Tuesday. Some strong to severe storms may occur Monday evening. The front will become stationary on Tuesday which will prolong the rainy period and overall help the drought situation Arkansas is facing.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Purple is the color of the month in Arkansas, and Lupus Awareness Month is bringing a busy stretch of events, including a mayoral proclamation and a smooth jazz concert featuring acclaimed saxophonist Merlon Devine.
A proclamation for Lupus Awareness Month is set for 6 p.m. in North Little Rock, with Mayor Hardwick expected to present it. Organizers encouraged lupus warriors and supporters to come out.
Anita Boone, President of the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas Inc. and a former lupus warrior, described the day-to-day reality of living with the disease: “One minute you’re feeling amazing, the next minute your body is saying we can’t do this.”
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, described during the interview as a condition where the immune system attacks the body “inside out.” It can affect organs throughout the body, including the brain, lungs, heart and kidneys. Boone also shared personal impacts, saying, “I am losing, actually, ear from hearing, just because of lupus.”
The Lupus Foundation of Arkansas is also inviting the community to a Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert this Sunday, May 17, at 3:30 at The Space with Grace event venue, 2005 Main St., North Little Rock.
Gale Davis, committee chair for the Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert shared details about the concert.
Davis said guests are encouraged to “dress to impress,” though formalwear isn’t required. The event will include a photo backdrop, light hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and sponsored tables aimed at networking. It’s also a chance for people to meet other lupus warriors, learn more about the foundation’s work, and watch a video presentation highlighting events from the past year.
The featured artist, Merlon Devine, was described as an acclaimed saxophonist known for a soulful, smooth jazz sound, with a career spanning more than two decades and performances across the country and around the world. He’s also an Arkansas native who attended Little Rock Central High School. He now lives in Southern Maryland, outside Washington, D.C.
Davis said Devine’s connection to lupus is personal. She said his father had lupus and has since died, though he didn’t die from lupus. They also said Divine had a sister who died from lupus in 1981 and that he currently has two sisters living with lupus.
She also shared that, according to his doctors, Devine was born with acute asthma and underdeveloped lungs. His latest single, released last year, is called “Mercy.”
Tickets must be purchased online and will not be sold at the door. They’re available online by clicking on the flyer. Prices are $40 for individual tickets, or $400 for a table of nine, with an option to sponsor a table.
Organizers also noted another proclamation is planned for the Little Rock side with Mayor Frank Scott tomorrow, and encouraged people to follow the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas on social media for updates.
The concert will take place this Sunday at the Space With Grace Venue in North Little Rock.
ASHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An Arkansas man died after crashing a dirt bike on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Arkansas man, formerly from Newaygo, crashed into a tree while riding a dirt bike on private property in Ashland Township near Grant on Sunday before 2:30 p.m., according to Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers.
Emergency responders tried to save his life but he died at the scene.
Troopers are still investigating but do not suspect drugs or alcohol as factors in the crash.
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MSP did not initially release any additional information.
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