10/06/2026
SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS LOOKING FOR A LEVEL 3 S*X OFFENDER
The Izard County Sheriffâs Office is asking the public for help locating Joel Griffith, 51, white male, 6â0â, 190 lbs., brown eyes, and brown hair. If you know the whereabouts of Griffith, please call the Izard County Sheriff's Office, 870-368-4203, or your local law enforcement agency.
On September 15, 2026, Joel Griffith reported to the Izard County Sheriffâs Office that he was moving into a residence on Pleasant Ridge Road in Oxford. Griffith is a Level 3 s*x offender due to prior offenses in Missouri. A community notification was subsequently issued informing the public of his registered status.
A few days later, Griffith contacted Investigator Runyan and stated that he had until Thursday, September 24, 2026, to move from the Pleasant Ridge Road address.
On Friday, September 25, Investigator Runyan contacted Griffith to determine where he intended to relocate. Griffith stated that his mother was taking him to Little Rock to look for a place to stay. Investigator Runyan instructed Griffith to contact him, either by telephone or voicemail, and provide his new location once he found a place to stay. Griffith was also advised that he was required to register in the county where he was residing.
On Monday, September 28, Investigator Runyan contacted Griffithâs wife to determine his whereabouts. She stated that Griffith was in Little Rock and that she had not heard from him. Investigator Runyan informed her that he needed to speak directly with Griffith.
On October 1, a resident of the Pleasant Ridge Road address contacted the Izard County Sheriffâs Office and requested that a deputy come to the residence to verify that Griffith did not reside there.
On October 2, Investigator Runyan and Sheriff Charley Melton went to the Pleasant Ridge Road residence to conduct a s*x offender compliance check. Investigator Runyan spoke with residents at the home, who stated that Griffith had not stayed at the residence for several months. When asked whether Griffith had actually moved into the residence when he registered the address with the Sheriffâs Office, the residents stated that he had not.
During the investigation, authorities also learned that Griffith had previously been arrested in July 2025 in Fulton County for a violation of the s*x offender registry. At the time he was bonded, Griffith provided the Pleasant Ridge Road address as his residence. In July 2026, Griffith was arrested in Denton County, Missouri, for failing to register as a s*x offender. During that arrest, he again provided the Pleasant Ridge Road address as his residence. Both of these arrests occurred before Griffith reported the Pleasant Ridge Road address to the Izard County Sheriffâs Office on September 15, 2026.
As a result of the investigation, on October 5, Griffith was charged in Izard County Circuit Court with Failure to Comply with S*x Offender Registration and Reporting Requirements, a Class C felony.
âIt appears Griffith is trying to play the system by giving law enforcement an address where he was not actually living and failing to disclose where he is truly residing,â Sheriff Melton said. âBased on what our investigation uncovered, it also appears he was attempting to hide his true address and avoid the scrutiny that comes with being a registered s*x offender. The s*x offender registry exists to provide accurate information to law enforcement and the public, and we take any attempt to circumvent those requirements very seriously.â
Since January 2023, Griffith is the 24th person charged in Izard County with a crime involving a violation of the s*x offender registry.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
