The search for veteran actor and director Timothy Busfield has intensified significantly as the U.S. Marshals Service officially joined the manhunt on Tuesday. The West Wing star has been missing for three days following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) for serious felony charges involving alleged sex crimes against minors. Authorities confirmed the federal agency's involvement as efforts to locate the 68-year-old industry veteran have so far yielded no results.
Federal Agents Escalate Search as Actor Remains at Large
Law enforcement officials in New Mexico confirmed to press on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, that federal resources have been deployed to assist local police in locating Busfield. The actor’s current whereabouts are unknown, and he has not been seen publicly since the warrant was unsealed on Friday, January 9. An APD spokesperson stated, "We are working directly with the U.S. Marshals Service to locate and apprehend Mr. Busfield. At this time, he has not been detained."
The involvement of the U.S. Marshals typically signals that authorities believe a suspect may have crossed state lines or is actively evading capture. Busfield, who reportedly resides in Upstate New York with his wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, is facing severe allegations stemming from his time working as a director on the set of the Fox series The Cleaning Lady.
Details of the Timothy Busfield Charges 2026
The arrest warrant details disturbing allegations involving two victims. Busfield faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. According to the affidavit, the accusers are twin brothers who were 11 years old at the time the warrant was issued. The alleged abuse reportedly occurred between November 2022 and Spring 2024, while Busfield was directing episodes of the crime drama in Albuquerque.
Investigative documents reveal that one of the minors told forensic interviewers the inappropriate contact began when he was just seven years old. The allegations include claims that the director touched the children in "private areas" and engaged in grooming behaviors, such as asking them to call him "Uncle Tim." The investigation was initially triggered in November 2024 after a physician at the University of New Mexico Hospital flagged a potential case of abuse, leading to a formal police report filed by the children's mother in October 2025.
Melissa Gilbert Deactivates Social Media Amid Scandal
As news of the Timothy Busfield arrest warrant broke, his wife, Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert, immediately withdrew from the public eye. Over the weekend, Gilbert deactivated her personal accounts on Instagram and Threads, leaving millions of followers with a "profile unavailable" message. While her personal pages are dark, the account for her lifestyle brand, Modern Prairie, remains active but silent on the matter.
The couple, who married in 2013, has been a fixture in the entertainment industry, often celebrating their life together in the Catskills. Neither Gilbert nor Busfield’s representatives have issued a statement addressing the charges or the actor’s disappearance. The silence has only fueled speculation and concern regarding his evasion of law enforcement.
Prior Allegations Resurface
This is not the first time Busfield has faced scrutiny regarding his conduct. Following the release of the current charges, media outlets have revisited a 1994 civil case where the actor was accused of sexually assaulting a minor extra on the set of the film Little Big League. While Busfield denied those claims at the time, the resurgence of past allegations has added a darker context to the current celebrity crime updates dominating headlines.
Industry Reaction and The Cleaning Lady Controversy
The entertainment community is reeling from the news, particularly those associated with The Cleaning Lady. Warner Bros. Television, which produces the series, released a statement emphasizing that the safety of cast and crew, especially minors, is their "top priority." The studio confirmed they are cooperating fully with the investigation.
According to police reports, Busfield was interviewed by investigators in November 2025. At that time, he reportedly denied any sexual misconduct, characterizing the accusations as "revenge" for the child actors not being brought back for the show's final season. He did, however, admit to physical interactions such as "tickling" or picking up the children, which he claimed were innocent and playful. With the U.S. Marshals celebrity search now underway, the focus remains squarely on bringing the actor into custody to face these serious charges in a court of law.
