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

Episode Date: October 19, 2024

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here's one of our top stories this week. �� Father catches daughter in car with man charged with stalking and raping her.  Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now. 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 14-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 say Michael Fossler had a no-contact order with their daughter due to previous stalking and rape accusations against him. Still, though, the 67-year-old reportedly managed to reconnect with their girl. So when Aaron Spencer discovered his daughter was missing last week, he promptly called 911, initiating a search by Lone Oak 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 $150,000 bond. He's facing a preliminary charge of first-degree murder, a class Y felony that carries a potential sentence of 10 to 40 years in prison. The girl's mother, Heather Spencer, expressed anger towards the sheriff's office on social media, claiming they prioritized protecting Fossler over her family. Fossler had also been arrested by another law enforcement agency in July and booked for internet stalking of a child and sexual assault, according to officials. Sheriff John Staley

released this video about the case. As your sheriff, it is our duty to conduct a thorough and factual investigation. Law enforcement does not file charges. We gather evidence and submit a case to the prosecutor, who 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 a tragic situation, and my thoughts and prayers are with all those involved. 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 GoFundMe 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. I'm Nicole Parton. In California, a jury found a man guilty for the murder of his girlfriend who had disappeared last December. Alice Alex Herman, 61, disappeared from her home in California after her remains were found. Her boyfriend, musician Theobald Theolingal, was arrested for her murder. Prosecutors say it was a three-hour long audio recording of Herman pleading for her life that sealed the fate of the suspect. I don't see how you could listen to something like that. What was being spoken by the defendant, 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 degree murder. 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 Herman saying, I could mash your F brain. 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 word stop 53 times. The woman seems to

try to bite the man to escape, at which 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 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 16 and went on to get her PhD in neuroscience, landing a job with NASA. The suspect is a founding member of a jazz rock band, Mr. Bungle,

where he played saxophone and piano. He is scheduled for sentencing next month. I'm Drew Nelson. A woman vanished in Colorado in 2019 after moving for a fresh start. Now authorities say two suspects are in custody accused of her murder. Douglas County Sheriff Darren Winkley announced the arrest of Javier Alex Martel, age 30, and Jennifer Premmer, age 38. They face as charges in the death of 51-year-old Kimberly Bell, last seen alive July 22nd of 2019. Bell's sister reported her missing a month later when she stopped showing up for work. After years of investigation, police 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. Martell became enraged 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 Martel stopped choking Bell just for a few moments. Then Martel decided to finish the job and then continued to choke Bell until she was dead. The pair then reportedly drove around Denver with Bell's body in the car, stopping at a Home Depot where Martel bought an axe. Bremer used Bell's credit card to buy gas. Later that night, they drove to a remote area near Estes 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 investigation

revealed Google searches on her account like, quote, take a tracking system out of a Ford Focus and, quote, does a phone ping location if off? Sheriff Wheatley 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. Martell now faces first degree murder charges and remains in custody on a $10 million 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. For the latest crime and justice news, follow the Crime Alert

hourly update on your favorite podcast app. With this Crime Alert, I'm Drew Nelson. This is an iHeart Podcast.