The New Mexico jail where Timothy Busfield is being held for alleged child sex abuse has a dark history of its own, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
Busfield, 68, turned himself over to authorities at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) on Tuesday, January 13.
The star, who is married to Little House on the Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert, faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse stemming from accusations that he engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two twin child actors on the set of The Cleaning Lady.
Busfield has denied the allegations.
“I’m going to confront these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys,” the director said in a video obtained by TMZ before turning himself in on Tuesday. “I’m going to fight it. I’m going to fight it with a great team, and I’m going to be exonerated. I know I am because this is all so wrong and all lies.”
According to the MDC website, there have been at least three inmate deaths at the correctional facility currently holding Busfield since February 2025, with the most recent being just days before the actor surrendered.
On Saturday, January 10, a 39-year-old inmate died at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNM) following an alleged suicide attempt at the jail.
The incarcerated individual, whom Us decided not to name, was “discovered in distress by an MDC corrections officer” on December 28, 2025, who “initiated life-saving measures.”
The inmate was stabilized and taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries two weeks later, Us has learned.
Another inmate passed away just one day after he was booked at MDC in the summer.
On August 17, 2025, a 62-year-old male died after experiencing two medical emergencies at the jail. He was transported to UNM and was pronounced dead less than 20 minutes later, according to MDC’s website.
A 21-year-old inmate died on July 23, 2025, while in MDC custody after being “discovered unresponsive.” While MDC staff, alongside the UNM Hospital medical team, administered life-saving measures, online records show the individual was pronounced deceased at 4:48 a.m.
All three incidents are currently under investigation, per the jail’s website.
Us has reached out to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator for comment.
The jail housing Busfield has also been the target of a major scam that started toward the end of last year. The corrections center even issued an alert on September 16, 2025, warning about the ongoing scam involving inmate release.
“MDC has been alerted to a scam targeting the families of inmates. Scammers obtain personal inmate information and use this information to pose as MDC employees while calling the families of inmates. During these calls, the scammers say they work for MDC and claim they can secure the release of the inmate if the family pays a fee,” the alert read.
The warning continued, “MDC wants to reiterate to the public that these phone calls are scams. MDC employees will never call an inmate’s family asking for a fee in exchange for release. MDC staff do not determine who is released from custody or when. The court system makes that determination.”
That same month, an MDC inmate was released from custody by mistake after being booked on three counts of criminal trespass and one count of resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer (refusal to stop).
“Following a court appearance on Sept. 15, he was properly released credit time served for two of the trespass charges,” the MDC’s news bulletin stated. “However, the third trespass charge and the resisting, evading, or obstructing charge required a $25 cash or surety bond. Initial findings indicate that human error resulted in [the inmate] being erroneously released on recognizance for those charges.”
In June 2025, a female MDC inmate was attacked by another inmate during a scheduled court proceeding, online records show. The alleged victim “sustained serious injuries following a seemingly unprovoked attack.”
The alleged attacker “used an improvised weapon, believed to be a pen, to inflict multiple injuries to the victim’s upper body and facial area,” according to MDC. Corrections officers intervened and separated the inmates before the injured person was taken by ambulance to UNM for further care.
Us has reached out to MDC for comment.
A warrant for Busfield’s arrest was issued by authorities in New Mexico on Friday, January 9, after two twin child actors claimed that the director had touched them inappropriately on the set of the series The Cleaning Lady between 2022 and 2024.
According to the Albuquerque Police Department affidavit, obtained by Us, one of the children claimed Busfield touched his “private areas” three or four times when he was 7 years old. He also alleged that Busfield touched him inappropriately five or six times when he was 8.
The second child claimed that Busfield touched him appropriately but declined to specify where. Both twin boys claimed they were too afraid to come forward because they feared Busfield.
The children’s mom reported the alleged abuse to Child Protective Services. One alleged victim was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety following the incidents, per the complaint.
Busfield’s attorney, Larry Stein, told Us that his client voluntarily appeared before New Mexico authorities after traveling across the country “to confront these false and deeply troubling allegations.”
“He is innocent and is determined to clear his name,” Stein claimed.
Busfield’s wife of nearly 13 years is also sticking by his side amid the allegations and his subsequent arrest.
“During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment,” Gilbert’s rep said in a statement to Us. “Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
