A man awaiting trial for the murder of his teenage daughter’s alleged abuser won the Republican nomination for local sheriff in his rural county, where he ran on the message of fixing failures in law enforcement.
Aaron Spencer defeated Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley by winning more than 53% of the vote in Tuesday’s primary elections, according to unofficial results posted by the Arkansas secretary of state. He would not be able to serve if he were convicted of killing Michael Fosler, 67, who at the time was out on bond after being charged with numerous sexual offenses against Spencer’s then-13-year-old daughter.
