Rio Arriba Sheriff Billy Merrifield died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl and alcohol, according to autopsy and toxicology reports released on May 15.
Merrifield, 50, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.07, just below the legal per se limit for someone to be convicted of drunk driving.
The level of fentanyl in his system, 23 nanograms per milliliter, was near the level of 26 that a 2012 study found to be present in overdose deaths before the drug became widely available and popular and when it was still mostly used in patches for cancer patients.
Merrifield was found outside, near his Abiquiú Lake home in his patrol vehicle on April 20.
The effects of fentanyl, a powerful opioid and depressant, are “amplified when fentanyl is taken in combination with other central nervous system depressants” like alcohol. The amplifying effect, to decrease breathing and leading to unconsciousness, is present even when the amount of alcohol consumed is not a lot, pathologist Christopher Cormier wrote in the autopsy report.
“The available information and examination findings indicate that Mr. Merrifield died from the toxic effects of fentanyl and ethanol,” Cormier wrote. “The manner of death is accident.”
Aside from fluid in Merrifield’s lungs, there was “no significant natural disease or acute skeletal trauma observed by postmortem imaging,” Cormier wrote.
A urine drug screen was positive for fentanyl and cocaine, but the toxicology report found no signs of cocaine.
In a press release, Sheriff Lorenzo Aguilar wrote that he was profoundly disappointed and concerned about the autopsy findings.
“It is essential to emphasize that no individual is above the law, particularly those of us who have taken an oath to uphold it,” he wrote. “While we all make mistakes as human beings, public officials are held to a higher standard due to the trust and responsibility bestowed upon them by the community they serve.”
Merrifield’s overdose death “does not align with the values and integrity that characterize the dedicated men and women of the Rio Arriba Sheriff’s Office,” he wrote. “Those who compromise the integrity of our badge and the principles we stand for have no place within this agency.
“It is imperative that we uphold the highest standards of conduct, as our community deserves law enforcement officials who exemplify honor and responsibility.
“Moving forward, I will work diligently to restore faith in our office and ensure that we continue to serve our community with the respect and integrity it rightfully expects.”
Easter Sunday
Merrifield was discovered by a friend who told dispatchers he had been with him the night before, and went to physically check on him after he had been calling him all morning to no avail.
The man said in the call that the night before, at 3 a.m., he got a call from a woman who was with Merrifield and she said they had been in a minor crash near his house.
In the audio of the partially recorded 911 call, the friend said Merrifield hit a sign, but the vehicle didn’t look damaged.
He said he found the woman on the side of the road and drove with her and found Merrifield in his vehicle.
“And Billy was like, I think he was drunk,” the friend said in the recording.
The man reported Merrifield as being “kind of passed out, drunk, but he was fine,” according to the 911 call.
Merrifield promised him he would go into his house, but he never made it there.
“I guess I should have stayed with him, but he told me, ‘I’ll go inside’ and he was talking to me. I’m assuming he was going to go inside and that’s the end of it,” the man said.
When New Mexico State Police started investigating Merrifield’s death, they identified him being under the influence of alcohol or drugs as a possibility.
Merrifield was first appointed as sheriff to replace James Lujan, who replaced Tommy Rodella.
Aguilar was appointed by the Rio Arriba County Commission as Merrifield’s replacement.