Father faces murder charge for allegedly killing missing daughter’s accused rapist

A US father faces a first-degree murder charge after he is alleged to have fatally shot a man found in a vehicle with his missing 14-year-old daughter last Tuesday, according to the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office.

Parents of the young Arkansas teen described the 67-year-old shooting victim, Michael Fosler, as a “monster” and accused him of grooming and raping their daughter months earlier, before being released on bail ahead of a December court date.

The girl’s father, 36-year-old Aaron Spencer, had reported his daughter missing in the early hours of Tuesday after noticing her missing from the house, and had set out to find her before the incident occurred.

Her mother, Heather Spencer, wrote in an appeal for financial support, that while her husband was out searching for their daughter, he located her in a car nearby with Fosler, and a car chase ensued as police were on their way to their house.

“By God’s never failing grace, my husband passed this man driving on our road with our minor child in the vehicle,” Heather wrote. “The chase ended in an accident. Aaron was able to retrieve our child alive.”

A confrontation between the two men arose, during which Aaron allegedly shot and killed Fosler, who died at the scene.

Police arrested Aaron on a preliminary charge of first-degree murder, a Class Y felony, which typically comes with a sentence of 10 to 40 years, or life in prison, according to Justia.

He was released from Lonoke County Detention Centre the next day after posting bail, according to FOX News.

Spencer’s family had a no-contact order in place for Fosler because he had stalked and raped his then-13-year-old over the summer, the outlet reported.

USA Today reported that the child’s mother had thought that Fosler might have been trying to kill her daughter on Tuesday, because her daughter was the only witness in relation to the multiple felonies he was charged with.

Heather set up a GoFundMe to pay for her husband’s legal fees, but it was taken down because of the website’s terms and conditions disallowing fundraising for the legal defence of anyone charged with an alleged violent crime.

“My husband is a combat veteran, who has always protected his country and family. I have no doubt our child would have not come home if my husband hadn’t found her,” Heather wrote.

- With NBC