An Arkansas father has been arrested after allegedly killing a man he found in a car with his missing child.
Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to Aaron Spencer’s home after he reported his 14-year-old daughter missing on Tuesday, October 8, as reported by PEOPLE.
While authorities were en route to the scene, they were notified that the 36-year-old father discovered that his daughter was in a vehicle with Michael Fosler, a 67-year-old man.
Spencer was arrested after he allegedly shot and killed Michael Fosler, 67, who was found with his missing teenage daughter. Credit: Lonoke County Detention Center
According to Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office, a confrontation between the two men ensued, resulting in a fatal shooting.
“Deputies immediately initiated an investigation. Michael Fosler was pronounced dead at the scene, and Aaron Spencer was taken into custody,” the statement read, per Too Fab.
The child’s father is facing a “preliminary charge” of first-degree murder, a Class Y felony, and was booked into the Lonoke County Detention Center.
Sheriff John Staley explained that the prosecutor will decide what charges will be filed. “I have not, nor will I, advocate for any specific charge,” he said, per USA Today. “This is a tragic situation and my thoughts and prayers are with all those involved.”
Jail records show Spencer has since posted bail and was released on Wednesday, October 9.
While police have said that they are only releasing limited details as the investigation is ongoing, a woman named Heather, claiming to be Spencer’s wife and the mother of the 14-year-old, has shared a series of updates on Facebook.
She revealed that the family started a fundraiser to retain a lawyer. “We are private people, so all of this being public has been very difficult,” she added in the post.
The Independent reported that Heather shared some damning allegations on social media, alleging that her child was “targeted, groomed and ultimately raped by the boyfriend of a family friend,” reportedly being Fosler.
She explained that the deceased man faced pending charges and was reportedly on a “no contact order,” and reached out to the teen while free on bond.
“We let the justice system do its job. The monster who hurt our child was charged quickly, but released even faster on a $50k bond,” she added, per the outlet. “He was awaiting court in December for several felonies in relation to what he did to our child.”
The man who was fatally shot had been apprehended in July and booked for internet stalking of a child and sexual assault, Sheriff Staley revealed to USA Today.
“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.”
Heather fired at the police department on Facebook, writing: “Some things we will never know, but we know that the police department afforded this predator privacy they did not give our family. Including posting our home address. I’m deeply offended by the way this was handled by the county sheriff’s office.”
Staley made it clear in a statement that he “absolutely [does] not support predators,” and explained the arrest: “When we get on scene and there’s a homicide, it means one person took the life of another. It’s either justified or not justified. That’s what the fact-finding, that’s what the investigation is going to find out.”
The sheriff’s investigators are trying to figure out what happened that day leading to the man’s death.