The New Mexico jail the place Timothy Busfield is being held for alleged youngster intercourse abuse has a darkish historical past of its personal, Us Weekly can completely report.
Busfield, 68, turned himself over to authorities at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Middle (MDC) on Tuesday, January 13.
The star, who’s married to Little Home on the Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert, faces two counts of legal sexual contact of a minor and one depend of kid abuse stemming from accusations that he engaged in illegal sexual conduct with two twin youngster actors on the set of The Cleansing Woman.
Busfield has denied the allegations.

Timothy Busfield Albuquerque Police Division through Getty Photographs
“I’m going to confront these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all lies, and I didn’t do something to these little boys,” the director mentioned in a video obtained by TMZ earlier than turning himself in on Tuesday. “I’m going to struggle it. I’m going to struggle it with an amazing crew, and I’m going to be exonerated. I do know I’m as a result of that is all so fallacious and all lies.”
In line with the MDC web site, there have been a minimum of three inmate deaths on the correctional facility at present holding Busfield since February 2025, with the newest being simply days earlier than the actor surrendered.
On Saturday, January 10, a 39-year-old inmate died on the College of New Mexico Hospital (UNM) following an alleged suicide try on the jail.
The incarcerated particular person, whom Us determined to not title, was “found in misery by an MDC corrections officer” on December 28, 2025, who “initiated life-saving measures.”
The inmate was stabilized and brought to the hospital, the place he succumbed to his accidents two weeks later, Us has discovered.
One other inmate handed away simply someday after he was booked at MDC in the summertime.
On August 17, 2025, a 62-year-old male died after experiencing two medical emergencies on the jail. He was transported to UNM and was pronounced useless lower than 20 minutes later, in line with MDC’s web site.
A 21-year-old inmate died on July 23, 2025, whereas in MDC custody after being “found unresponsive.” Whereas MDC workers, alongside the UNM Hospital medical crew, administered life-saving measures, on-line data present the person was pronounced deceased at 4:48 a.m.
All three incidents are at present underneath investigation, per the jail’s web site.
Us has reached out to the New Mexico Workplace of the Medical Investigator for remark.
The jail housing Busfield has additionally been the goal of a significant rip-off that began towards the tip of final 12 months. The corrections middle even issued an alert on September 16, 2025, warning concerning the ongoing rip-off involving inmate launch.
“MDC has been alerted to a rip-off concentrating on the households of inmates. Scammers receive private inmate data and use this data to pose as MDC staff whereas calling the households of inmates. Throughout these calls, the scammers say they work for MDC and declare they will safe the discharge of the inmate if the household pays a charge,” the alert learn.
The warning continued, “MDC desires to reiterate to the general public that these cellphone calls are scams. MDC staff won’t ever name an inmate’s household asking for a charge in alternate for launch. MDC workers don’t decide who’s launched from custody or when. The court docket system makes that dedication.”
That very same month, an MDC inmate was launched from custody by mistake after being booked on three counts of legal trespass and one depend of resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer (refusal to cease).
“Following a court docket look on Sept. 15, he was correctly launched credit score time served for 2 of the trespass fees,” the MDC’s information bulletin acknowledged. “Nevertheless, the third trespass cost and the resisting, evading, or obstructing cost required a $25 money or surety bond. Preliminary findings point out that human error resulted in [the inmate] being erroneously launched on recognizance for these fees.”
In June 2025, a feminine MDC inmate was attacked by one other inmate throughout a scheduled court docket continuing, on-line data present. The alleged sufferer “sustained critical accidents following a seemingly unprovoked assault.”
The alleged attacker “used an improvised weapon, believed to be a pen, to inflict a number of accidents to the sufferer’s higher physique and facial space,” in line with MDC. Corrections officers intervened and separated the inmates earlier than the injured particular person was taken by ambulance to UNM for additional care.
Us has reached out to MDC for remark.
A warrant for Busfield’s arrest was issued by authorities in New Mexico on Friday, January 9, after two twin youngster actors claimed that the director had touched them inappropriately on the set of the sequence The Cleansing Woman between 2022 and 2024.
In line with the Albuquerque Police Division affidavit, obtained by Us, one of many kids claimed Busfield touched his “personal areas” three or 4 instances when he was 7 years previous. He additionally alleged that Busfield touched him inappropriately 5 – 6 instances when he was 8.
The second youngster claimed that Busfield touched him appropriately however declined to specify the place. Each twin boys claimed they have been too afraid to return ahead as a result of they feared Busfield.
The kids’s mother reported the alleged abuse to Little one Protecting Providers. One alleged sufferer was identified with post-traumatic stress dysfunction and anxiousness following the incidents, per the criticism.
Busfield’s legal professional, Larry Stein, told Us that his consumer voluntarily appeared earlier than New Mexico authorities after touring throughout the nation “to confront these false and deeply troubling allegations.”
“He’s harmless and is decided to clear his title,” Stein claimed.
Busfield’s spouse of almost 13 years can be sticking by his side amid the allegations and his subsequent arrest.
“Throughout this era, her focus is on supporting and caring for his or her very massive household, as they navigate this second,” Gilbert’s rep mentioned in an announcement to Us. “Melissa stands with and helps her husband and can handle the general public at an applicable time.”
For those who or somebody you recognize is experiencing youngster abuse, name or textual content Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.














