A judge has dismissed a murder charge against Aaron Spencer, an Arkansas man who won the Republican nomination for sheriff while awaiting trial for killing his teenage daughter's alleged sexual abuser.

Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. dismissed the case Thursday afternoon, weeks before Spencer's trial on the second-degree murder charge was scheduled to begin. The dismissal came after a dash camera memory card that may have captured the 2024 shooting was lost by law enforcement.

"The court finds that conduct by law enforcement was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted," Wilson wrote in his ruling. Spencer's attorneys had filed a motion seeking dismissal, arguing that the missing dash camera evidence could have cleared their client of wrongdoing.

Spencer's attorneys did not deny that he shot and killed Michael Fosler, 67, in 2024. At the time of the shooting, Fosler was out on bond after being charged with dozens of sexual offenses against Spencer's then-13-year-old daughter. According to court documents, Spencer found his missing daughter in the passenger seat of Fosler's vehicle, forced the truck off the road, and shot Fosler after an altercation.

The dash camera evidence became central to the case after a detective with the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office removed it from Fosler's truck but failed to properly preserve it. The camera was stored in the detective's personal office rather than the evidence room, its battery was allowed to drain, and the memory card was missing when sent for forensic examination.

In March, Spencer won the GOP nomination for Lonoke County sheriff, defeating a three-term incumbent whose office had arrested him on the murder charge. Spencer has made his daughter's experience with the criminal justice system a central part of his campaign, pledging to establish a dedicated team to combat sex crimes against children.