At a Glance
- U.S. Marshals entered Timothy Busfield’s New York house after a Jan. 9 warrant charged him with sexually abusing twin 11-year-old boys.
- Authorities surveilled the home for 48 hours, questioned neighbors, and entered when no one responded.
- A second accuser claims Busfield assaulted her at age 16 during a 1990s theater audition.
- Why it matters: The coordinated manhunt shows law-enforcement urgency when a high-profile suspect vanishes after child-sex allegations.
Timothy Busfield disappeared for four days after Albuquerque police issued a felony warrant on January 9, prompting the U.S. Marshals Service to track the Emmy-winning actor to the New York house he shares with wife Melissa Gilbert.
The Manhunt
A source familiar with the investigation told News Of Los Angeles that deputies first knocked and got no answer. They then set up surveillance, asked neighbors if they had seen Busfield recently-several had-and continued trying to make contact.
After two days of silence, the Marshals forced entry, worried the 68-year-old “had done something to himself or was eluding law enforcement,” the source said. They swept the residence, found it empty, and left without removing any items, using “normal safety posture for entry.”
All New York efforts ended on January 13 when Busfield turned himself in to Albuquerque police.
Charges and Court Timeline
- First charge: One count of criminal sexual conduct involving twin 11-year-old boys, per the Jan. 9 warrant.
- Second charge: Added Jan. 14, alleged assault of a 16-year-old girl during a B Street Theatre audition “several years ago” in Sacramento.
- Court dates: Pretrial detention hearing within five business days; preliminary hearing before January 29.
Busfield made his initial New Mexico court appearance on January 14 and remains in custody.
Theater Response and Family Support
B Street Theatre, where Busfield was a key figure, told News Of Los Angeles that legal counsel launched an internal probe and that the actor “has not had any role in the organization since 2001.”
Civil attorney Larry Stein rejected both sets of claims:
- “These are absolutely false allegations.”
- Regarding the 1990s accusation: “The allegations were never challenged, they were never proved, and they’re 25 years old.”
Gilbert’s spokesperson, Ame Van Iden, said the actress “stands with and supports her husband” and will speak publicly “at an appropriate time.”
Key Takeaways
- Law enforcement treats failure to appear on child-sex warrants as a high-risk event, triggering federal resources within hours.
- Multiple accusers spanning decades can be consolidated in pretrial motions, complicating defense strategy.
- Public figures face immediate professional fallout-Busfield’s theater ties were severed more than two decades ago after earlier unproven claims.
Anyone with information on child abuse can contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child.
