The New Mexico prison where Timothy Busfield is arrested for alleged child sexual abuse has a dark history of its own, Us Weekly can report exclusively.
Busfield, 68, turned himself in to authorities at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) on Tuesday, January 13.
The star, to whom she is married Little house on the prairie actress Melissa Gilbertfaces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse stemming from allegations that he engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with twin child actors on the set of The cleaning lady.
Busfield has denied the allegations.
Timothy Busfield
Albuquerque Police Department via Getty Images“I’m going to stand up to these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all lies, and I didn’t do anything to these little kids,” the director said in a video obtained by TMZ before being delivered 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 it’s all a lie.”
According to the MDC website, there have been at least three inmate deaths at the correctional facility currently occupied by Busfield since February 2025, with the most recent just days before. the actor gave up.
On Saturday, January 10, a 39-year-old inmate died at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Hospital after an alleged suicide attempt at the prison.
The imprisoned individual, who we decided not to name him, he was “discovered in distress by an MDC corrections officer” on December 28, 2025, who “initiated life-saving measures.”
Timothy Busfield’s lawyer has spoken out after the director was accused of unlawful sexual conduct with twin child actors on the set of The Cleaning Lady. “This morning, Tim voluntarily turned himself in to New Mexico authorities after traveling across the country to confront these false and deeply troubling allegations,” Busfield’s civil attorney, Stanton “Larry” Stein, (…)
The inmate was stabilized and taken to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries two weeks later, we has learned
Another prisoner died just a day after being booked into the MDC in the summer.
On August 17, 2025, a 62-year-old man died after suffering two medical emergencies in prison. He was transported to UNM and pronounced dead less than 20 minutes later, according to the MDC website.
A 21-year-old inmate died on July 23, 2025, while in MDC custody after being “found unresponsive.” While MDC staff, along with the UNM Hospital medical team, administered life-saving measures, online records show the person was pronounced dead at 4:48 a.m.
All three incidents are currently under investigation, according to the jail’s website.
Prosecutors in the child sex abuse case involving Timothy Busfield will file a motion to keep the actor in police custody while the case moves toward trial. According to a Facebook post shared by Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman on Tuesday, January 13, “The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office intends to file a motion (…)
we The New Mexico Office of the Medical Examiner has been contacted for comment.
The prison that houses Busfield has also been the target of a major scam that began late last year. The correctional facility even issued an alert on September 16, 2025, warning about the ongoing scam involving the release of inmates.
“MDC has been alerted to a scam targeting inmate families. Scammers obtain personal information from inmates and use that information to impersonate MDC employees while calling inmate families. During these calls, scammers say they work for MDC and claim they can secure the inmate’s release if the family pays a fee,” the alert said.
The warning continued: “MDC wishes to reiterate to the public that these phone calls are scams. MDC employees will never call an inmate’s family to ask for a fee in exchange for release. MDC staff does not determine who is released from custody or when. The court system does.”
That same month, an MDC inmate was mistakenly released from custody after being charged with three counts of criminal trespass and one count of resisting, evading or obstructing an officer (refusal to stop).
Actor and director Timothy Busfield is facing charges of sexual abuse of a minor after he was accused of misconduct with a child actor on the set of The Cleaning Lady. Busfield, who executive produced 14 episodes of the Fox series and directed six of them, as well as a one-episode appearance as an immigration officer, (…)
“Following a court appearance on September 15, he was properly released for credit time served on two of the trespassing charges,” the MDC newsletter stated. “However, the third charge of trespassing and the charge of resisting, evading or obstructing required a $25 cash bond or bond. Initial findings indicate that human error caused (the inmate) to be mistakenly released by admitting to these charges.”
In June 2025, an MDC inmate was assaulted by another inmate during a scheduled court proceeding, online records show. The alleged victim “suffered serious injuries following an apparently unprovoked attack.”
The alleged assailant “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. Correctional officers intervened and separated the inmates before the injured man was taken by ambulance to UNM for further treatment.
we MDC has been contacted for comment.
A warrant for Busfield’s arrest was issued by authorities in New Mexico on Friday, January 9, after two child actors claimed that the director had inappropriately touched them on the set of the series. The cleaning lady between 2022 and 2024.
According to the sworn statement of the Albuquerque Police Department, obtained by weone of the children claimed that Busfield touched her “private areas” three or four times when she was 7 years old. He also alleged that Busfield touched him inappropriately five or six times when he was 8 years old.
The second son claimed that Busfield touched him appropriately, but declined to specify where. Both twins claimed they were too scared to come forward because they feared Busfield.
The children’s mother reported the alleged abuse to Child Protective Services. An alleged victim was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety following the incidents, according to the complaint.
Busfield’s lawyer, Larry Stein, he said we that his client voluntarily turned himself in to New Mexico authorities after traveling across the country “to confront these false and deeply troubling allegations.”
“He is innocent and determined to clear his name,” Stein said.
Busfield’s wife of almost 13 years is too stuck to his side amid the allegations and his subsequent arrest.
“During this period, she is focused on supporting and caring for her very large family as they navigate this time,” Gilbert’s rep said in a statement. we. “Melissa is standing by and supporting her husband and will address the public at the appropriate time.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Helpline for children at 1-800-422-4453.