June 29, 2026

Part 2 | A Father’s Stand: The Case of Aaron Spencer

Part 2 | A Father’s Stand: The Case of Aaron Spencer

Part 2 of a 2-Part Podcast Series In the early morning hours of October 8, 2024, Aaron Spencer woke up to every parent’s worst nightmare: his 13-year-old daughter was missing from her bedroom. What he discovered next would thrust this Arkansas father,...

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Season 1
Part 2 of a 2-Part Podcast Series
In the early morning hours of October 8, 2024, Aaron Spencer woke up to every parent’s worst nightmare: his 13-year-old daughter was missing from her bedroom. What he discovered next would thrust this Arkansas father, husband, and Army combat veteran into a national firestorm.

Spencer found his daughter inside the truck of 67-year-old Michael Fosler — the man already facing 43 felony charges for SA. and other charges. Fosler had been released on bond despite the severity of those charges. Spencer forced the vehicle off the road during a desperate confrontation.

When it was over, Fosler was dead, and Spencer was on the phone with 911. Instead of being treated as a father who acted to protect his child, Spencer was charged with second-degree murder. What followed was a high-stakes legal battle filled with explosive twists: allegations of missing dashcam evidence from Fosler’s truck, a lead detective terminated for policy violations, claims of misconduct, and growing questions about whether the system was more focused on prosecuting the father than protecting the victim.

For commercial free early releases, bonus episodes and more! https://www.patreon.com/exposedpodcastfiles

Timestamps:
02:35 Court Dismissal Unfolds
10:15 Evidence Tampering Alleged
18:45 Cover-Up Appearance Emerges
22:12 Dismissal Granted
24:57 Spencer’s Political Future
28:59 Bigger Questions Raised

#AaronSpencer #MichaelFosler #trial #podcast #Arkansas #exposed #sheriff

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/exposed-scandalous-files-of-the-elite--6073723/support.
WEBVTT

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However, one of the Welcome Back to exposed I'm back

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with the second episode and the final episode in the

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Aaron Spencer series. Now the last time that I left you.

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In part one, Aaron Spencer had announced that he was

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running for sheriff. I told you about the campaign, how

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intense it was, but how relatively short it was in

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the grand scheme of things. And on March third of

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twenty twenty six, those voters spoke and Aaron Spencer won

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the Republican primary for Lonoke County Sheriff with more than

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fifty three percent of the vote. He actually defeated the

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longtime incumbent John Stanley in a third candidate by the

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name of David Buford. Now, the unofficial result showed Spencer

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receiving roughly fifty four hundred votes compared to Stanley's approximately

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twenty six hundred and seventy six votes in Buford's twoenty

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twelve votes. It was a stunning upset. Now, a man

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still facing second degree murder chargers had just won the

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nomination to become the top law enforcement officer in his county,

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in a place where Donald Trump had won nearly seventy

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six percent of the vote in a previous presidential election.

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So Spencer's victory signaled a significant portion of this Republican

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base was willing to back him despite or even perhaps

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because of his legal situation.

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Now, this win, as.

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You can imagine, since shockwaves through Arkansas politics. It also

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created an unprecedented situation. If Spencer were convicted before the

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November general election, he wouldn't be able to take office,

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but if he was acquitted or if the charges were dropped,

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he would be the heavy favorite to become sheriff in

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a solid Republican in county. So that primary victory also

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changed the dynamics of the case. It gave Spencer a

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new platform. It also put additional pressure on the legal proceedings,

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and I think that is key, and it kept this

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story in a national spotlight. So while Spencer was campaigning

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and celebrating that primary win, his legal case would continue

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to move forward behind the scenes, and he gets a

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trial set and that trial was set for June of

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twenty twenty six. But in the weeks leading up to

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that date, something shocking happened. On June fourth, twenty twenty six,

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just a few weeks ago from this recording, Special Circuit

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Court Judge Ralph Wilson Junior. He dismisses the second degree

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murder charge against Aaron Spencer, and that ruling came in

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a detailed, nineteen page order. Now, while this is lengthy,

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it is probably the most important piece in this entire story.

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I'm going to review it. It's important for you to hear.

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I just don't think summarizing it would do the story justice.

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And it starts out giving a background. It says, according

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to the affidavit for rest on October eighteenth, twenty twenty four,

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at approximately one thirteen, deputies responded to a call in

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reference to a missing juvenile. And it goes through everything

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that I told you. I didn't leave anything out when

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I read that affidavit, so I'm not going to review

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that again. But it goes through it, and then it

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says this court takes judicial notice that the victim in

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this case, Michael Fossler, was charged by information on September fourth,

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twenty twenty four, in Lanok County Circuit Court. And it

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goes through the case number and it says with forty

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three sexual related offenses, two of which were felonies, and

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defendant's minor daughter as an alleged victim.

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The alleged defense dates.

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Were between June one of twenty twenty four through July

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fifth of twenty twenty four.

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In county.

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There is a faint copy of an unfiled form document

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under the heading in Circuit Court of Lenokee County, Arkansas,

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with penning charges box checked and styled pre trial order

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and goes on to say the defendant shall I have

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no contact either directly or indirectly by a person, telephone, mail,

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social media with any minor. The court also takes judicial

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notice that Michael Fossler did not appear before Lannoe County

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District Court Judge for a first appearance. Although the document

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referenced above was in the Lynoake County Circuit Court, it

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was signed by Lenokee County District Judge, was unfiled and

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wasn't discovered by defendant discovery request until late twenty twenty five. Furthermore,

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Michael Fossler's first appearance was on September sixth, twenty twenty four,

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when he appeared with counsel, entered a waiver with a

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pre trial date set for December third of twenty twenty four.

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Under our legal system, Michael Fossler was presumed to be

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in innocent. One of the things that mentions in this

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opinion is it talks about some bad faith issues. It

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says an issue here is the dash camera found by

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Lenokee County Sheriff's Office deputies and a detective on duty

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in the alleged victim, Michael Fossler's truck, at the scene

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of the events given rise to this case in the

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early morning hours of October eighth, twenty twenty four. The

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dash camera, mounted on the front windshield just to the

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right of the rear view mirror of the decedent's truck,

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had a dual camera, allowing it to record events both

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in the front of the truck, inside the truck, and

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potentially behind the truck. LCSO Detective Robbie McCain at the

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scene removed the dash camera from the windshield without its

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original position on the windshields, truck being recorded, photograph sketch

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as part of the crime scene, nor the dash camera

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itself photographed or recorded, and it makes a point of that,

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says collection of evidence policy. After locating an item pertinent

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to the case under investigation, it should not be disturbed

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until it has been photographed, measured, its position recorded on

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the crime scene sketch and entered into the officer's notebook,

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and they added some emphasis there. Detective McCain's actions on

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that morning violated that procedure. According to an inspection by

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Jason Stachee, a retired Hot Springs police chief who testified

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under oath at a December twenty twenty five pre trial hearing,

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the dash camera mount was broken when it was removed

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from the windshield of the decedent's truck, and the dash

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camera's internal settings were not preserved and its internal battery

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was allowed to drain, resulting to a default setting of

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August first, twenty twenty four, which probably rendered the dash camera.

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Useless after that time.

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As for the SD memory card found within the dash camera,

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Detective McCain stated in his affidavit of December second, twenty

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twenty five, that he noticed the dash camera had a

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micro SD card inserted in it. Detective McCain removed the

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micro SD card out of the dash camera, placed it

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into an adapter for regular sized SD card into a

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card reader, and opened it on his computer. He said

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he viewed three videos of fifteen minutes in a fourth

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less than fifteen minutes. He further stated that he placed

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the micro SD card back into the dash camera and

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placed it into the original Manila envelope. This is controverted

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by an expert witness for the purpose of the pre

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trial hearing. According to Jason Stachee's affidavit, Detective McCain and

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a lieutenant stated it's not standard practice to manipulate electronic

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devices of check for SD cards before sending the advice

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to the AG's Digital forensics unit. They said the reason

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for this policy is not to manipulate the electronic devices

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at all, because doing so takes his chance of wiping

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data and everything else. Furthermore, stage he said detective McCain

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was trained to not remove SD cards because of the

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risk of wiping day data and that he meaning Detective McCain,

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like other LCSO officers, generally do not check whether a

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device contains expanded memory. Finally, according to the affidavit, Detective

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McCain said they disliked manipulating any equipment before it was

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sent to vag's office. This is a major fucking problem, y'all,

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because that contained evidence from the scene before any officers

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were there. It would tell everybody exactly what happened after

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removing the SD card from the dash camera. Detective McCain

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did not photograph the SD card, record its storage size,

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or market as a separate item of evidence. Contrary to policy,

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actions taken by Detective McCain in this case appear to

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violate Section two Identification of evidence, which reads, all recovered

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evidence must be immediately marked or labeled in order to

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assure its proper identification at a later date. Further, each

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piece of evidence must be marked when it's removed from

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the original position. Evidence will be marked by use of

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deputies initial and evidence slash case number when practical. The

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date of recovery, case number and similar ID shall be

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fixed to the exhibit whenever possible. Additionally, it states the

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integrity of evidence may be further protected by selecting a

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container that will guard against damage or contamination, and it

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even gives some recommendations place each item in its own

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container or paper wrapping, and after the article has been marked,

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place in a container seal it a labeler tag will

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be affex Deputies must also log all property in the

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property section in their report so that the custudying can

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properly maintain the chain of custody, and it talks about

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that chain of custody.

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It says the.

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Correct methods used collecting, identifying, and packaging evidence may be

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nullified if an officer cannot account for all persons who

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have handled, examined, or stored the u evidence.

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Each deputy is responsible for.

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Maintaining the chaining, possession, and protecting the integrity of his

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or her evidence, and it goes on to read the

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court finds that Detective McCain's actions did not comply and

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violated policy in the ways enumerated. Another area concern is

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the information contained within the Tim Griffin Attorney General Requests

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for Forensic Examination form. The form shows an item of

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evidence E one, a black ten eighty p camera was

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submitted by Sergeant Carla Lucas. This was on November fourteenth

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of twenty twenty four and received by Amber Kalmer. Within

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the large box on the upper right hand of this

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form is the box quote on site preview and it

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has checked unk, which we are presuming means unknown. This

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item of evidence, presumably the DASH camera, was returned to

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the Linote County Sheriff's Office on ten sixteen of twenty

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twenty five. Some eleven months later, in the Sheriff's Office.

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Evidence detail format was listed that this evidence was sent

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to the AG's office ten fourteen, twenty twenty four, and

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checked back in on ten sixteen of twenty twenty five.

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This form indicates the acquired location was Michael Fossler's windshield

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and this item of evidence was acquired on October eighth,

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twenty twenty four, acquired by Robbie L. McCain and given

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evidence number e eighty five. So right here they're mentioning

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the AG's office return that camera, and all of a sudden,

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the freaking camera is gone. No one knows where it's at.

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Once it was received back at the Lynotte County Sheriff's Office.

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It says between those two dates or a series of

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emails between the prosecutor and Defense Council. The first email's

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disclosure from the prosecutor to the defense to let her

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know about the dash cam that was apparently in the

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decedents truck that was taken into evidence by LCSO after

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the incident, and that detective McCain took the micro SD

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card out and reviewed the video on it, but all

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the files, according to Detective McCain, showed to be after

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the incident and just showed blue lights in the background

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and no other exculpatory evidence. The email also indicated the

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dash cam unit, along with the SD card, were sent

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to the AG's office to do a forensic exam, but

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it has come up missing. The email also referenced detective

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McCain unplugging the dash cam. A follow up email stated

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there was no internal storage within the dash cam and

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that the crux of this is missing, lost or destroyed,

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not preserved by the state. The court is unable to

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discern whether the AG's office informed LCSO the memory card

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was missing, so they get a camera, but they don't

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get the main piece of evidence, which is the SD

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card inside that freaking camera. This detective took it out

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and evidently lost it allegedly. But according to this evidence,

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there's one last discrepancy before moving on to December seventeenth, eighteen,

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twenty twenty five pre trial hearing transcript, and that is

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the LCSO evidence detail form also indicated this dash camera

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item of evidence was sent to the AG's office on

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Tien fourteen, twenty twenty four, whereas the AG form list

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above showed that the office received the dash camera eleven fourteen,

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twenty twenty four. The state asserts it's just a clerical error,

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so they had a wrong date as a matter of

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fact a month later, and that could be just a

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typo whatever.

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But when you're dealing with evidence, all that's important. You

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can't have.

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Discrepancies like this. So you can see this is sloppy

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shit right here. Then it goes on it, says Detective

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McCain's testimony at December twenty twenty five pre trial hearing.

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Points one.

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Detective McCain did not photograph the dash camera position or

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location and did not document its existence in the incidet report.

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Isn't that weird?

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Never even mentioned the fact that there was a dash camera.

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Detective McCain admitted that the camera was not logged into evidence,

229
00:14:05.720 --> 00:14:08.840
but was instead stored in his personal office where either

230
00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:12.240
of him the evidence room and oversight. It wasn't logged

231
00:14:12.279 --> 00:14:16.320
into the system and it got missed. So his testimony is,

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I had it, but I had it in my office

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00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:20.639
and when it was time to put all the evidence

234
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and the evidence room, this being I would say, the

235
00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:24.879
key piece.

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00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:27.840
Of evidence he forgot and it just got missed. It

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00:14:27.879 --> 00:14:30.159
was it was an accident, basically.

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Point number three of the dash camera was not logged

239
00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:35.480
into evidence until over a year after it was collected,

240
00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:39.480
which is a violation of preservation of evidence procedure. Yes,

241
00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:43.039
that's a big problem. Point number four. Detective McCain removed

242
00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:46.120
the memory card from the dash camera before logging it

243
00:14:46.279 --> 00:14:50.000
into evidence, and we've already covered that's a big policy violation.

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00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:51.120
Five.

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00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:54.840
Detective McCain said this was the only dash camera he

246
00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:57.320
has ever seized during an investigation.

247
00:14:58.039 --> 00:14:58.360
Six.

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00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:02.080
After viewing the contents of the memory card, Detective McCain

249
00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:05.480
testified he placed the card back inside the camera, placed

250
00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:09.000
the camera in an untaped envelope, and put the envelope

251
00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:12.360
in his office cabinet rather than logging it into evidence.

252
00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:14.480
I don't need to tell you how big of an.

253
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Issue that is.

254
00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:18.120
It has a note below that says pre trial expert

255
00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:22.879
witness bringing purchase noted the SD memory card snapped securely

256
00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:26.200
within the dash camera, so they're basically saying if it

257
00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:28.120
was put back in there, there's no way it could

258
00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:31.720
fall out. Point number seven. Sergeant Carla Lucas took the

259
00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:35.639
dash camera from LCSO to the AG's office on November

260
00:15:35.639 --> 00:15:39.600
fourteenth to twenty twenty four for examination. Point number eight,

261
00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:43.200
The AG's office did not receive the memory card containing

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00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:46.679
the data from the dash camera the dash camera itself.

263
00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:50.799
Does you know good without the freaking memory card, because

264
00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:55.120
that's what all the information records to Point number nine,

265
00:15:55.159 --> 00:15:58.840
none of Detective McCain's actions regarding the dash camera were

266
00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:02.840
documented in any database or log a violation of procedure.

267
00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:04.120
Point number ten.

268
00:16:04.279 --> 00:16:07.720
Detective McCain's failure to place the dash camera into evidence

269
00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:11.000
resulted in the camera not being logged into the system

270
00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:14.840
of evidence until October sixteenth of twenty twenty five, a

271
00:16:14.919 --> 00:16:15.480
year later.

272
00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:17.080
Point number eleven.

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00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:20.080
There was no mention of the existence of a dash

274
00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:24.200
camera in any discovery or law enforcement document until it

275
00:16:24.279 --> 00:16:27.960
was returned from the AG's office on October sixteenth, twenty

276
00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:32.639
twenty five. When Detective McCain listed the dash camera into evidence,

277
00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:35.440
the SD memory card and dash camera should have been

278
00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:38.440
listed as two entries if they were separated, so if

279
00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:41.159
he did indeed pull it out, that should have been

280
00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:45.159
another entry. Right point number twelve. The Sheriff's Office typically

281
00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:49.240
sends electronics computer's phones to the AG's office for examination.

282
00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:52.799
In this case, with the exception of the dash camera,

283
00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:57.720
LCSO sent all other items memory cards, phones, computers, tablets

284
00:16:58.039 --> 00:17:01.240
to the AG's office without first attempting to view them

285
00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:05.119
in the office. Point number thirteen, Detective McCain did not

286
00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:08.599
document accessing the SD card or what he said he

287
00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:12.640
saw when he did, so there's reasonable possibility he didn't

288
00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:15.119
see what he said he saw. Based on the sworn

289
00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:20.519
testimony of expert witness Brandon Purchase and affidavit of Jason Stachy,

290
00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:23.960
the powering the camera off does not delete anything from

291
00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:27.119
the SD card. However, the court was not present at

292
00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:30.200
the PT hearing, so no credibility.

293
00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:30.559
Fines can be made.

294
00:17:30.920 --> 00:17:35.000
So what they're basically saying there is his testimony apparently

295
00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:38.000
was he turned the dash cam off and he thinks

296
00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:41.279
when he did that, it would have deleted whatever was

297
00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:46.000
on that SD card, which these experts say bullshit. Then

298
00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:49.160
it goes on to reference other testimony during that hearing

299
00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:52.920
and it says a lieutenant stated Detective McCain's failure to

300
00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:56.160
document the removal of the dash camera from the Decedents

301
00:17:56.240 --> 00:18:01.279
truck and pulling the SD card out obviously violated policy.

302
00:18:01.319 --> 00:18:04.240
We've covered that. There was other testimony at this pre

303
00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:08.680
try hearing that indicated the decedents truck accessory was still

304
00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:12.240
powered up and running the video camera, and that Detective

305
00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:15.599
McCain unplugged the dash camera and powered down, and that

306
00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:19.880
a splash scream went off, which was disputed by branding purchase.

307
00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:23.079
But the court will not make a credibility find on

308
00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:26.400
that issue. There were other testimony at this same pre

309
00:18:26.440 --> 00:18:31.160
try hearing that indicated the AG Special Agent Ambercalmer, found

310
00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:34.279
no SD memory card when she opened the package containing

311
00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:37.480
the dash camera, and that there were six SD memory

312
00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:41.119
cards found in the decedent's house and six SD memory

313
00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:44.680
cards found in the decedents truck in separate searches by

314
00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:49.440
LCSO in view of these deviations from policy and procedures

315
00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:53.880
and outright violations of procedures and best practices, and here's

316
00:18:53.880 --> 00:18:57.759
an important sentence, this establishes a pattern of policy and

317
00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:01.680
procedure violations and gives the appearance of a cover up.

318
00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:05.359
Let me say that again. The court found it gives

319
00:19:05.559 --> 00:19:08.960
the appearance of a cover up. The state argues that

320
00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:14.799
the series of violations were mistakes, errors, negligence, and unintentional.

321
00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:15.839
Not amounting to bad faith.

322
00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:19.599
The state further argues the definition of bad faith is

323
00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:23.279
limited to the definition set forth in another case, and

324
00:19:23.319 --> 00:19:25.359
they call it the Starks case, and it says the

325
00:19:25.400 --> 00:19:28.960
case said sighting in their citing case law when law

326
00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:33.960
enforcement followed their standard operating procedures typically shows a lack

327
00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:37.519
of bad faith. Conversely, it could be logically argued that

328
00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:41.319
failing to follow a standard operating procedures is evidence of

329
00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:44.480
bad faith when combined with other factors as you see

330
00:19:44.519 --> 00:19:49.079
here defendant his citing cases from other jurisdictions of bad faith.

331
00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:53.720
So what they're arguing here is, I mean, the court

332
00:19:53.799 --> 00:19:56.200
is basically saying it sure looks like a freaking cover

333
00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:58.599
up in the States, saying I know this was just

334
00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:02.720
a big sea series of mistakes. It wasn't a cover up,

335
00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:05.039
And what else would you expect them to say?

336
00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:05.680
Honestly?

337
00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:09.240
It goes on to talk about some evidence a transcript

338
00:20:09.319 --> 00:20:13.000
actually of the December twenty twenty five pre trial hearing,

339
00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:18.839
and it said that LCSO officers McCain, Lucas and McCraney

340
00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:23.680
acknowledged the evidentiary significance of the dash camera. So they

341
00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:27.799
were asked under oath, hey would you consider this dash

342
00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:31.519
camera important? And they had to admit, yes, very important.

343
00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:36.559
Both McCraney and Detective Lucas answered yes when asked immediately

344
00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:39.680
if they recognize the dash camera as an item of

345
00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:44.640
evidentiary value. Defendant is advocated that is logical and legitimate.

346
00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:48.759
The dash camera would provide a sculpatory evidence assuming the

347
00:20:48.839 --> 00:20:52.039
dash camera was working and was operational as it was

348
00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:55.359
plugged in at the time it was removed. Defendant asserts

349
00:20:55.480 --> 00:20:59.119
the working dash camera would have provided Number one the

350
00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:04.559
decendents of the defendant's daughter. Number two the decedents directives

351
00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:06.680
to defendant's daughter in the truck.

352
00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:09.119
Because this recorded voice and video.

353
00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:13.279
Number three defendant's attempt to get the decendant to step

354
00:21:13.319 --> 00:21:16.559
out of the truck and the decedent's refusal to do so.

355
00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:20.720
And number four the decedents active fleeing from the defendant

356
00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:25.000
with the defendant's daughter in the decedent's control. Number five

357
00:21:25.119 --> 00:21:29.599
defendants successful effort to safely maneuver the decedents truck into

358
00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:34.440
a driveway. Number six the decedent's aggressive exit, including the

359
00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:38.480
language he used when he exited the vehicle, and all

360
00:21:38.519 --> 00:21:42.359
of that could have exonerated this guy right from the start.

361
00:21:43.160 --> 00:21:49.240
So why is it missing that's so important to this case?

362
00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:49.599
Y'all?

363
00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:53.839
I cannot hammer that down enough. It sure is freaking

364
00:21:53.880 --> 00:21:57.799
convenient that the one piece of evidence that could have

365
00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:02.240
ended this whole thing went missing. If you're in Arkansas,

366
00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:04.799
especially if you're in this county, I would be pissed.

367
00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:08.400
The court further notates that the statement's response agrees with

368
00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:11.960
the defendant regarding whether the dash cam is a.

369
00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:13.000
Major piece of evidence.

370
00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:15.759
Let's just say that based on this evidence and the

371
00:22:15.799 --> 00:22:19.799
defendants argument, the court finds the defendant has proven his

372
00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:22.319
case and I'm going to jump to what.

373
00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:23.240
They call the remedy.

374
00:22:23.319 --> 00:22:26.759
It says, defendant Aaron Spencer filed a notice of intent

375
00:22:26.920 --> 00:22:30.920
to raise justification as a defense on December third, twenty

376
00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:35.559
twenty four. Specifically, defendant has raised the defenses affording him

377
00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:38.599
and it references the codes. It says, having found a

378
00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:43.000
due process clause violation, this Court finds the loss or

379
00:22:43.039 --> 00:22:46.839
destruction of the internal SD memory card of the dash

380
00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:51.440
camera has adversely impaired the defendant's ability to defend himself

381
00:22:51.480 --> 00:22:56.319
pursuant to these defenses, and thus his right to a

382
00:22:56.319 --> 00:22:59.480
fair trial. The next issue is that of a remedy

383
00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:02.880
in this case, and the court acknowledges a dismissal is

384
00:23:02.920 --> 00:23:07.480
an extraordinary and extreme remedy. However, based on the totality

385
00:23:07.640 --> 00:23:11.880
of circumstances and the unique, specific in particular facts and

386
00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:15.839
circumstances of this case, the court finds the conduct by

387
00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:20.599
law enforcement with so egregious that dismissal of this case

388
00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:28.160
is warranted. Therefore, the case is dismissed. Boom, June fourth,

389
00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:29.160
twenty twenty six.

390
00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:30.680
Bye bye.

391
00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:34.720
This dude is a free man, and everybody ought to

392
00:23:34.759 --> 00:23:37.319
pour out a little bit of alquer for that. Now

393
00:23:37.400 --> 00:23:41.400
this outcome, it raises important questions to go far beyond

394
00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:44.519
one man in one county. What does it say about

395
00:23:44.519 --> 00:23:48.599
our justice system when evidence is mishandled which leads to

396
00:23:48.839 --> 00:23:51.039
the dismissal of serious charges?

397
00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:52.319
How is a community?

398
00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:56.519
Can you balance accountability for law enforcement with the need

399
00:23:56.599 --> 00:24:00.359
to prosecute serious crimes? And what does air and Spaceincer's

400
00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:03.720
journey from a keys murderer to primary winner to a

401
00:24:03.799 --> 00:24:08.440
man whose charges were dismissed tell us about public frustration

402
00:24:08.680 --> 00:24:13.200
with the justice system, especially with cases involving the protection

403
00:24:13.400 --> 00:24:17.000
of children. They're not easy questions, folks and reasonable people

404
00:24:17.319 --> 00:24:20.279
can disagree about the answers, but one thing is clear.

405
00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:24.039
Aaron Spencer's story is no longer just about what happened

406
00:24:24.359 --> 00:24:27.279
on a dark road in October.

407
00:24:26.680 --> 00:24:27.680
Of twenty twenty four.

408
00:24:28.039 --> 00:24:31.039
It has become a story about a father who challenged

409
00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:35.200
the system, a community that responded at the ballot box,

410
00:24:35.559 --> 00:24:39.720
in a court that ultimately found the process itself have

411
00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:40.880
been compromised.

412
00:24:41.160 --> 00:24:42.920
Now, while the US.

413
00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:46.720
Justice system is not perfect, I'll stand ten toys down

414
00:24:47.079 --> 00:24:49.880
that this is the best in the world. And even

415
00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:53.279
with this case, in the end, the system worked. It's

416
00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:56.240
just the lengths that it took to get there is

417
00:24:56.279 --> 00:25:00.000
what concerns me. So what comes next for Aaron Spencer,

418
00:25:00.279 --> 00:25:03.240
for his family, for Lenoke County, and for the broader

419
00:25:03.319 --> 00:25:07.240
questions This case is raised across Arkansas and really beyond.

420
00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:10.880
And let's start with the most immediate reality. With the

421
00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:14.759
charges dismissed, Aaron Spencer, He's once again a free man

422
00:25:15.079 --> 00:25:19.079
in the fullest sense. He is no longer a defendant.

423
00:25:19.119 --> 00:25:22.960
He's a Republican nominee for Lenoke County Sheriff in the

424
00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:26.559
November twenty twenty sixth general election, and his opinion in

425
00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:30.039
that election is a Democrat by the name of Brian Mitchell, Senior.

426
00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:34.200
Now Lenoke County I already told you heavily Republican, more

427
00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:38.079
than fifty three percent of the vote that he got

428
00:25:38.119 --> 00:25:41.640
Aaron Spencer against an incumbent, So I would say he's

429
00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:46.720
got some strong grassroots support and I personally think there's

430
00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:49.400
no way he's going to lose that election. Now Spencer

431
00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:52.880
wins in November, he will take office as a first

432
00:25:52.920 --> 00:25:56.519
time sheriff, no prior law enforcement experience. He does have

433
00:25:56.640 --> 00:25:59.880
military experience, though, and he'll bring a very public story

434
00:26:00.119 --> 00:26:03.559
with him, a clear set of grievances against a system

435
00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:06.799
that once failed his family, and a mandate for many

436
00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:10.680
voters who saw him as someone willing to challenge the

437
00:26:10.759 --> 00:26:14.319
status quo. But what is that going to look like

438
00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:16.000
in practice?

439
00:26:16.079 --> 00:26:16.279
Now?

440
00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:20.920
Spencer already signaled his priorities would include greater accountability in

441
00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:26.480
the justice system, particularly around pre trial released decisions for

442
00:26:26.599 --> 00:26:30.400
individuals charged with serious crimes against children. Hey who can

443
00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:32.599
argue with that. He has spoken about the need to

444
00:26:32.680 --> 00:26:36.200
restore trust between law enforcement and the community, and he

445
00:26:36.279 --> 00:26:40.559
has emphasized protecting families the same protective instinct y'all that

446
00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:44.640
has guided his entire adult life. And if elected, he

447
00:26:44.759 --> 00:26:48.640
will have the opportunity to influence policies on how his

448
00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:52.960
office handles evidence, how deputies interact with the court system,

449
00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:58.279
and how the department approaches cases involving vulnerable victims. Those

450
00:26:58.279 --> 00:27:02.799
are real powersh'all. They are real responsibilities. And at the

451
00:27:02.839 --> 00:27:07.279
same time, any new sheriff, especially one without traditional law

452
00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:10.920
enforcement experience, they're going to face significant challenges. You've got

453
00:27:10.920 --> 00:27:15.359
to build relationships with career deputies having never been a cop,

454
00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:19.640
You've got to navigate the political reality of county government,

455
00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:23.039
and you've got to prove your competent in a very

456
00:27:23.119 --> 00:27:27.039
high stakes role. And those will all be immediate test

457
00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:30.839
for this guy. Now that November election that's going to

458
00:27:30.960 --> 00:27:35.160
ultimately decide whether Lenote County voters want to give Aaron

459
00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:38.279
Spencer that chance, But it sure looks like they do

460
00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:42.759
thus far. Now, beyond this election, there's also a human

461
00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:46.559
side to this entire story, and it often gets lost

462
00:27:46.599 --> 00:27:51.359
in the headlines. Aaron Spencer has repeatedly asked for privacy

463
00:27:51.400 --> 00:27:53.960
for his family as they try to return to some

464
00:27:54.519 --> 00:28:00.240
normalcy in their lives, and that request definitely deserves or respect.

465
00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:02.279
For more than a year and a half, the family

466
00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:07.640
lived under intense pressure from a serious criminal charge. National

467
00:28:07.720 --> 00:28:12.079
media attention, the constant reminder of the trauma that their

468
00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:16.000
poor daughter has endured. The dismissal of the charges it

469
00:28:16.039 --> 00:28:19.440
does remove an enormous burden, but it doesn't erase the

470
00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:24.759
underlying pain healing from sexual abuse and from the public

471
00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:29.000
nature of this entire ordeal. It's not something that happens

472
00:28:29.039 --> 00:28:33.000
every night, or even with a court ruling in your favor.

473
00:28:33.240 --> 00:28:37.240
The Spencer family, they're going to need time, space and support.

474
00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:41.799
Their daughter will need continued care in privacy she moves

475
00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:44.880
forward in her life, and Aaron himself will have to

476
00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:49.039
navigate what comes next, whether that's becoming a sheriff, continuing

477
00:28:49.119 --> 00:28:52.000
his private life, or some other path. The man who

478
00:28:52.039 --> 00:28:55.839
spent years as a quiet husband, father, and contractor has

479
00:28:55.960 --> 00:29:00.160
now lived through something few people can fully understand, and

480
00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:03.279
that experience changes a person.

481
00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:03.640
Now.

482
00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:07.599
Stepping back from the personal story, this case raises difficult

483
00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:09.759
and important questions for everybody.

484
00:29:09.839 --> 00:29:10.160
Really.

485
00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:13.920
First, there's an ongoing debate about self defense and the

486
00:29:13.960 --> 00:29:18.359
defense of others. Arkansas law, like laws in many other states,

487
00:29:18.680 --> 00:29:22.000
give individuals the right to use deadly force when they

488
00:29:22.200 --> 00:29:26.599
reasonably believe that it's necessary to protect themselves or another

489
00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:31.160
person from imminent, serious harm. Aaron Spencer always maintained that's

490
00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:34.440
exactly what he did on October eighth of twenty twenty four,

491
00:29:34.599 --> 00:29:37.000
and I believe him and I agree with him. And

492
00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:41.759
critics argue that even in horrific circumstances, individuals should not

493
00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:42.720
take the law.

494
00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:43.519
Into their own hands.

495
00:29:43.559 --> 00:29:49.359
Well, that's easy to argue, but I would disagree with that. Second,

496
00:29:49.400 --> 00:29:54.519
there's serious questions about how the justice system handles individuals

497
00:29:54.599 --> 00:29:58.079
charged with serious crimes against children. Michael fass Or, he

498
00:29:58.160 --> 00:30:01.880
was charged with forty three felonies involving minor. He was

499
00:30:01.960 --> 00:30:05.559
released on a relatively low bond, and he was later

500
00:30:05.680 --> 00:30:09.519
found violating a no contact order, and many in the

501
00:30:09.559 --> 00:30:12.359
community view this as a profound failure.

502
00:30:12.680 --> 00:30:14.920
Hell, yeah, you're right it was.

503
00:30:15.400 --> 00:30:20.759
Should individuals facing multiple serious felony charges involving children be

504
00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:21.839
held without bond?

505
00:30:21.920 --> 00:30:23.279
More often? I think? So?

506
00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:28.519
What standards should court ches when deciding pre trial releases.

507
00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:28.640
In these cases?

508
00:30:28.680 --> 00:30:32.599
These are all policy question y'all that you elect local

509
00:30:32.799 --> 00:30:37.440
legislators to legislate, and people need to start holding their

510
00:30:37.799 --> 00:30:40.640
freaking public officials accountable.

511
00:30:41.079 --> 00:30:42.799
Call them, tell them you want.

512
00:30:42.599 --> 00:30:47.200
To see this fought in the legislature and the law changed.

513
00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:52.440
This whole case has become part of that much larger conversation.

514
00:30:52.759 --> 00:30:55.000
Now I'm gonna go ahead and I'm going to end

515
00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:57.640
this deep dive, but I want to return to something

516
00:30:57.680 --> 00:31:00.839
I said at the very start of this episode. Aaron

517
00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:04.359
Spencer's story is not a simple one. It does not

518
00:31:04.680 --> 00:31:09.440
fit neatly into the quote hero or quote villain categories.

519
00:31:09.480 --> 00:31:11.720
It's a story about a father who believes he had

520
00:31:11.759 --> 00:31:14.880
no choice but to act. It's a story about a

521
00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:18.480
system that many believe failed to child. It's a story

522
00:31:18.519 --> 00:31:22.559
about the limits of self defense law and the demands

523
00:31:22.599 --> 00:31:23.799
of due process.

524
00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:24.880
And it's a.

525
00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:28.720
Story about a community that ultimately rendered its own verdict

526
00:31:29.039 --> 00:31:33.079
at the ballot box and through the court system. Now,

527
00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:36.759
whatever you believe about the events of October eighth of

528
00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:40.480
twenty twenty four, whether you see Aaron Spencer's actions as

529
00:31:40.759 --> 00:31:43.640
justified or if you see them as a step.

530
00:31:43.359 --> 00:31:46.160
Too far, one thing is undeniable.

531
00:31:46.400 --> 00:31:51.680
This case has forced difficult conversations in how we protect children,

532
00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:56.880
how we hold systems accountable, how we balance individual rights

533
00:31:56.960 --> 00:32:01.279
with public safety. Those conversations are going to continue long

534
00:32:01.400 --> 00:32:03.519
after this episode ends, and I.

535
00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:04.200
Hope they do.

536
00:32:04.920 --> 00:32:08.559
These need to be talked about they'll continue through that

537
00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:13.680
November election. They'll continue in courtrooms across Arkansas and across

538
00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:18.000
the nation, and they will continue in living rooms and

539
00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:23.279
community meetings wherever people care about justice, safety, and the

540
00:32:23.319 --> 00:32:25.559
protection of those that are vulnerable.

541
00:32:25.920 --> 00:32:26.400
Period.

542
00:32:26.640 --> 00:32:30.720
For Lenote County, the November election, that's going to decide

543
00:32:30.759 --> 00:32:35.400
who leads their new law enforcement agency in what direction

544
00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:39.880
that agency takes. But for all of us watching from

545
00:32:39.960 --> 00:32:44.799
the outside this case, it serves as a powerful reminder

546
00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:48.039
that the justice system is made up of human beings

547
00:32:48.440 --> 00:32:54.200
making difficult decisions under pressure, and those decisions have real,

548
00:32:54.920 --> 00:33:00.720
lasting consequences for real families. For Aaron Spencer, the path forward,

549
00:33:00.920 --> 00:33:03.559
whatever it holds, it's going to be shaped by the

550
00:33:03.640 --> 00:33:07.920
same values that define this man's life. Faith, family, and

551
00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:10.119
fierce commitment to protection.

552
00:33:10.839 --> 00:33:11.759
Thank you so.

553
00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:14.880
Much for listening. If this episode gave you something to

554
00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:18.480
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555
00:33:18.519 --> 00:33:21.680
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00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:25.119
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557
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558
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share it with others who might find this helpful or interesting.

559
00:33:34.599 --> 00:33:38.200
I love and appreciate every single one of you, and

560
00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:42.759
until next time for exposed scandalous files of the elite,

561
00:33:43.240 --> 00:33:46.079
I'm your host, Jim Chapman, much love,