An Arkansas father chased after a man down a highway on Oct. 8, 2024 a little after midnight, after he suspected the man had kidnapped his daughter. The father ended up killing the man and is now facing second-degree murder with a gun enhancement.
On that fateful night, 37-year-old Aaron Spencer — the father — went to check on his then 13-year-old daughter just a few minutes past midnight after the family dog woke him with incessant barking. To Spencer’s horror, his daughter was not in bed; instead, under her covers were stuffed animals to fool anyone who took a quick glance. There have already been news stories about girls being abused by those close to them, so Spencer didn’t waste any time. He called the police and left their home immediately with one suspect in mind. Missing persons cases tend to get worse the longer time goes by, so Spencer chose to act fast.
The suspect Spencer had in mind was 67-year-old Michael Fosler. According to Arkansas Times, Fosler had already been previously charged with 43 counts, including sexual assault of a minor and internet stalking of a child. Incidentally, three months before Spencer’s daughter went missing, Fosler had met her at a family friend’s home and abused her. So understandably, Spencer had a hunch that this was the first person he had to clear of any suspicion.
Affidavits and specifics of the case have since been released, and reportedly, not too long after Spencer’s first call to 911, he contacted Cabot police again — saying he had located Fosler, that Fosler had indeed kidnapped his daughter, and that Fosler was now dead on the side of the road. Spencer said “he had no choice.”
According to the police report filed later, Spencer saw Fosler’s Ford F-150 on Highway 236 East, near Fosler’s home, and immediately started chasing after him while flashing his lights and honking his horn. Eventually, at a nearby intersection, Spencer rammed his car into Fosler’s, causing Fosler to lose control and land in a ditch.
From that point on, Spencer noticed his daughter in the passenger seat with Fosler allegedly holding her back. At that time, Spencer had a gun pointed at Fosler and ordered him to get out of the car. What followed was Fosler exiting the vehicle and lunging at Spencer with something identifiable in his hand. At that moment, Spencer shot Fosler.
The public reaction has not been kind to the prosecutors. CNN reports that more than 350,000 people have signed a petition asking for the charges to be dropped. Spencer’s defense attorneys have also criticized the prosecutors for bringing charges and released a statement that, in part, read that Spencer is “a decorated war hero who protected his country and a loving father whose heroic actions protected his family.” Many in their local community share these sentiments, because considering all the shooting cases that have gotten national press, this sounds like the most justified one.
His wife, Heather Spencer, maintains that she sees her husband’s actions as the reason their daughter is still alive today. She said, “You really couldn’t ask for a better husband or father. His support and love for his family is strong and unwavering.”
