The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office announced on May 14 that Melissa Dawn Staley, a registered sex offender, was arrested after being released from the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections and failing to report a change of address to the last registering sheriff. The magistrate found probable cause and issued a warrant for her arrest.
Staley was taken into custody and transported to the Randolph County Detention Center, where she was served with the warrant. She was issued no bond, and her first appearance in Randolph County District Court is scheduled for May 15.
According to information provided by authorities, Staley is 49 years old. No further details about the circumstances of her failure to report or any additional charges were provided in the announcement.
While law enforcement continues its work in Randolph County, educational outcomes remain an ongoing concern. Of 1,226 senior students taking the science portion of the ACT in Randolph County school districts, 195 (15.9%) were considered ready for college in the 2022-23 school year; among juniors taking science that year, only 189 out of 1,329 (14.2%) met college readiness benchmarks according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Similar patterns are seen across reading and math portions: among seniors taking reading and math portions respectively, just over one-fifth demonstrated college readiness—289 (23.6%) for reading and 160 (13.1%) for math—while juniors posted slightly lower percentages.
Authorities have not released additional information regarding potential future court dates or further investigation steps at this time.
