A judge dismissed the second-degree murder charge against Aaron Spencer, the Republican nominee for sheriff in Lonoke County, Arkansas, because of lost evidence days before the trial date.
On June 4, 2026, Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. ordered the dismissal. The key piece of missing evidence was a dash camera memory card that potentially captured the 2024 shooting. Law enforcement officials were responsible for the loss of this recording device component.
The case involved serious allegations against Spencer from the prior year. Without the dash cam footage, prosecutors faced significant hurdles in presenting their case to a jury.
Spencer achieved a decisive victory in the March 2026 Republican primary election. He secured more than 53 percent of the votes in a contest against the incumbent who had served three terms. Lonoke County encompasses a population of approximately 76,000 individuals.
Addressing his campaign motivations, Aaron Spencer, the Republican nominee for sheriff, stated, "I felt called to do it. I was struggling with sitting (it) out … and not doing something."
Evidence handling procedures in law enforcement require strict adherence to chain of custody protocols. Digital media such as memory cards from patrol vehicles must be secured immediately following incidents to prevent loss or degradation. Failure to maintain such evidence can result in case dismissals, as demonstrated in this instance.
