An Elk Grove man will spend at least a quarter century behind bars after a jury found him guilty of murdering an unhoused man at a neighborhood bus stop in 2022. Aaron Spencer was convicted of first-degree murder and found to have personally used a deadly weapon in the killing of Eric Roberts, who was discovered fatally stabbed at a bus stop in Elk Grove in February 2022, prosecutors said.
Sentence and conviction
On March 6, the Hon. Shelleyanne Chang sentenced Spencer to 26 years to life in state prison, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office. The office said a jury convicted Spencer on Oct. 21, 2025, and found true an allegation that he personally used a deadly weapon. Principal Criminal Attorney Scott Schweibish prosecuted the case, according to the DA’s release.
How the attack unfolded
Elk Grove police say the stabbing happened at a bus stop in the 8100 block of Sheldon Road near Lewis Stein Road in February 2022 and that surveillance footage captured the encounter. The video shows Spencer walking up to Roberts, appearing to grow agitated, then raising his arm in a stabbing motion before leaving the scene, according to the Elk Grove Police Department. Patrons later found Roberts unresponsive with multiple stab wounds, and officers detained Spencer nearby, wearing clothing that matched what was seen on camera.
Neighbors remember the victim
People who knew Roberts said he largely kept to himself and had been struggling for some time. Maurice Davis told ABC10 that Roberts was “a homeless man, a good man” who “didn’t bother nobody.” Others in the area echoed that description and noted that unhoused residents have long taken shelter near nearby transit stops.
What the sentence means
The DA’s office said Spencer and Roberts had been socializing at a nearby gas station before the attack and that both men were known to be unhoused. A 26-years-to-life term sets the minimum amount of time Spencer must serve before a parole board can even consider his release. California’s parole rules for life sentences are outlined in Penal Code §3046, according to the California Legislature, which makes that minimum term only the first point at which parole is possible, not guaranteed.
The court docket lists the case as 22FE002983. The DA’s news release and the Elk Grove police report together describe the surveillance evidence and jury findings that led to Spencer’s conviction and sentence.
