The Starkville Police Department arrested Stephen Shirley, 41, of West Blocton, Alabama, on charges of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, according to a department news release.
Officers approached Shirley during the encounter, and police said he refused to identify himself. During the investigation, officers learned he is a registered sex offender and found he was wanted in Alabama on a second-degree sodomy charge originating in Jefferson County.
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Shirley is being held at the Oktibbeha County Jail pending extradition to Alabama. The department credited the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office with assisting in the case.
People with information about the incident or other criminal activity can contact the Starkville Police Department at 662-323-4131 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 800-530-7151. Anonymous tips may also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website, and a cash reward may be available.
Jon Ross Myers founded Mississippi News Group in 2013. Before founding the organization, he worked at The Daily Mississippian, The Marion Salute and The Southern Sentinel. A Mississippi journalist and writer based in Ripley, he received second place in poetry in the 2025 William Faulkner Literary Competition for "The Garden."
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