Father Facing Murder Charges After Killing the Man Charged with Raping his Daughter| Crime Alert Recap Saturday 10.19.24

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alart hourly update, breaking crime news Now.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Jennifer Gould. A shooting in Arkansas has not only
divided a community, it also has a father facing first
degree murder charges. Aaron Spencer shot a man to death
after finding his missing fourteen year old daughter in a
car with him, but that man was no stranger. According
to the girl's family, Aaron Spencer and his wife, Heather

(00:25):
say Michael Fossler had a no contact order with their
daughter due to previous stocking and rape accusations against him. Still, though,
the sixty seven year old reportedly managed to reconnect with
their girl, so when Aaron Spencer discovered his daughter was
missing last week, he promptly called nine to one one,

(00:46):
initiating a search by Lonoke County Sheriff's Office deputies. However,
the couple soon learned their daughter was with the alleged predator.
A confrontation with Fossler ensued, resulting in him being shot
by Aaron Spencer. Fossler was pronounced dead at the scene.
Spencer was then taken into custody and released on a

(01:06):
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars bond. He's facing a
preliminary charge of first degree murder, a class y felony
that carries a potential sentence of ten to forty years
in prison. The girl's mother, Heather Spencer, expressed anger towards
the sheriff's office on social media, claiming they prioritized protecting

(01:27):
Fossler over her family. Fossler had also been arrested by
another law enforcement agency in July and booked for Internet
stocking of a child and sexual assault, according to officials.
Sheriff John Staley released this video about the case.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
As your sheriff, it is our duty to conduct a thorough,
factual investigation. Law enforcement does not file charges. We gather
evidence that smittcates to the prosecutor. We will then decide whether
or not to file charges. Currently, official charges have not
been filed. I have not nor will I advocate for
any specific charge. This is the tragic situation and my
thoughts and prayers are with all those involved.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
The incident has sparked outrage and concern in the community.
Many are praising Aaron for protecting his daughter, while others
are questioning the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The investigation is ongoing.
The prosecutor will ultimately decide what charges will be filed
against Aaron Spencer. The Spencers had set up a go

(02:24):
Fundme to collect money for Aaron's legal fees, but the
site shut it down, claiming it violated their terms of
service to collect monies for anyone charged with an alleged crime.

Speaker 4 (02:36):
I'm Nicope Harden. In California, a jury found a man
guilty for the murder of his girlfriend who had disappeared
last December. Alice Alex Hermann, sixty one, disappeared from her
home in California. After her remains were found, her boyfriend,
musician Theobald Theo Lingle, was arrested for her murder. Prosecutors

(02:58):
say it was a three hour long audio recording of
Hermann pleading for her life that sealed the fate of
the suspect.

Speaker 5 (03:06):
I don't see how you could listen to something like that,
what was being spoken by the fendant, to the words
he was using, the tone of it, the frankly sort
of banal nature of this argument that led up to it,
and not come to the conclusion that we always believe
was correct, which was first free murder.

Speaker 4 (03:25):
It's unclear if the recording on the victim's phone was
taken intentionally, but it was very revealing. During that recording,
the jury had the opportunity to hear the woman say
that she wanted to stay in while her boyfriend insisted
she join him out for an evening. At one point,
he threatens Hermann, saying I could mash your f brain.

(03:46):
Over the next two hours, similar threats can be heard,
one after the other. As the woman pleads for mercy.
The man can be heard saying do you want to
live or do you want to die? Herman can be
heard saying the words fifty three times. The woman seems
to try to bite the man to escape, at which

(04:06):
point he says, You're going to die right now? Are
you ready? How do you want to die? He said,
by blunt force, trauma or something else, or maybe I
should choke you to death. A few moments later, the
woman's voice begins to weaken. Alex Herman was an accomplished
scientist and a musician. According to her obituary, she is

(04:27):
remembered as a rock star, a rock scientist, a brain surgeon,
a master at martial arts, and a finance wizard. Herman
enrolled in college at the age of sixteen and went
on to get her PhD in neuroscience, lending a job
with NASA. The suspect is a founding member of a
jazz rock band, Mister Bungle, where he played saxophone and piano.

(04:48):
He is scheduled for sentencing next month.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
I'm Drew Nelson, a woman vanished in Colorado in twenty
nineteen after moving for a fresh start.

Speaker 5 (04:58):
Now authority say.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
Two suspects and custody accused of her murder. Douglas County
Sheriff Darren Winkley announced the arrest of Javier Alex Martel,
aged thirty, and Jennifer Premer, aged thirty eight. They face
his charges in the death of fifty one year old
Kimberly Bell, last seen alive July twenty second of twenty nineteen.
Belle's sister reported her missing a month later when she
stopped showing up for work. After years of investigation, police

(05:22):
now believe Bell was choked to death and dismembered. According
to witness statements, Bell was driving with Martell and Bremer
in her rental car the night she disappeared. Sheriff Weekly
says Martell was seated in the back.

Speaker 6 (05:33):
Martell became enraised with Bell and put his arm around
Bell's neck, pulling her into the backseat of the vehicle.
At one point, it's alleged that Martell stopped choking Bell
just for a few moments. Then Martell decided to finish
the job and then pulled and then continued to choke
Bell until she was dead.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
The pair then reportedly drove around Denver with Bell's body
in the car, stopping at a home depot where Martell
bought it acts Bremer used Bell's credit card to buy gas.
Later that night, they drove to a remote area near
ST's Park. Martel allegedly dismembered Bell's body, placing her remains
in trash bags. Authorities believe they disposed of the bags
in a dumpster at a nearby veterinary clinic, but the

(06:15):
investigation revealed Google searches on her account like quote take
a tracking system out of a forward focus and quote
does a phone ping location if off? Sheriff Weekly acknowledges
the years of work by the cold case team quote
We've never had a case quite like this in Douglas County.
We're glad to bring some closure for the family. Martel
now faces first degree murder charges and remains in custody

(06:38):
out a ten million dollar bond, while Bremer, who was
released on bond, faces charges of accessory to murder and
identity theft. Investigators are calling for anyone with information about
the case to contact the Douglas County Cold Case Team.
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