Jones County corrections officer arrested, fired in killing of Carl the Rooster

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - Carl the Rooster was a precious commodity to downtown Ocean Springs.

Now, thanks to a concerted effort to find the person responsible for his kidnapping and death, a Jones County woman is being held accountable. On Thursday, Jones County Juvenile Corrections Officer Kendra Shaffer was issued a misdemeanor arrest citation by Ocean Springs Police.

She was also fired by the Jones County Sheriff’s Department for her involvement.

“We expect those individuals employed by the Jones County Sheriff’s Department to perform their duties and live their lives in a professional and honorable manner,” said Sheriff Joe Berlin. “The criminal charges against Ms. Shaffer by the Ocean Springs Police Department are serious, and we do not tolerate or condone this behavior. Her employment termination is immediate.”

Despite that, the loss is still hard to take.

“He brought a lot of joy to a lot of people down here,” said Matt Stebly, owner of Twisted Anchor Tattoo.

And when a video surfaced showing what looks like the kidnapping of Carl the Rooster – and a second video that apparently shows the dumping of his body in Biloxi, Ocean Springs residents were mortified.

“I feel like any decent human is going to be emotional about something like this,” choking back tears. “You know, an animal that we’ve taken care of and been a part of downtown for a while. .... And then just to be taken like that.”

Twisted Anchor Tattoo was Carl’s main hangout. Now, a memorial has been placed on the front porch where he spent most of his time.

The store’s manager, Christina Jackson, has led a group investigation to find the person responsible.

“Since the we got the videos of him actually being taken from the front porch, I have not stopped,” she said. “I’ve been in contact with sheriff’s departments – both locally and in Jones County – getting videos from surrounding businesses, talking to people that work at surrounding businesses to see if they saw anything.”

As part of the arrest citation, Shaffer was not put into custody, but was given a date for her initial court appearance, which will be 4 p.m. May 4 at Ocean Springs Municipal Court. The charges are cruelty to an animal other than a dog or a cat.

“With the help of a lot of people, we got a lot of information real fast,” said Oren Zweig, owner of Lil’ Market Deli and Bagelry. “So, it’s important. And it’s important for other people to see that you can’t do stuff. It’s just senseless.”

Zweig became part of the joint effort. His place has a memorial of its own.

“People come here because their kids wanted to see Carl,” he said. “So, you see how many people it touched. It’s just like wow.”

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