Details of Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield’s last hours before he was found in his patrol vehicle outside his house on April 20, have become a little clearer after the release of an initial 911 call.
A man who identified himself as Merrifield’s friend told dispatchers that he “called and called” and that he had been “calling all morning” trying to get Merrifield on the line the morning of April 20.
In a press release, New Mexico State Police Spokesman Silver Wilson wrote that investigators found a friend of Merrifield, around 3 a.m., who appears to be the same person who called 911, after he allegedly received a call from a woman, named Cynthia, who said she was with the sheriff and they were in a minor crash in his patrol vehicle while he was off duty. This friend found him half a mile from his Abiquiú residence. Merrifield allegedly told the man he was OK and was taken back to 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.
Merrifield drove his vehicle a few seconds later, he said. Merrifield was “like kind of passed out, drunk, but he was fine,” the man said.
Once at his residence, Merrifield assured the friend he was going inside the house.
“After they arrived at the residence, Sheriff Merrifield’s friend and the woman left the residence, leaving Sheriff Merrifield in his patrol vehicle,” State Police officers wrote.
Then later that morning, the man went to check on him, found him unresponsive and started CPR until medics arrived, 911 logs state.
“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.
In a press release on Tuesday, a Sheriff’s Office official wrote that everyone is mourning the loss of a “dedicated leader who deeply cared for this community.”
“The details surrounding his collision evoke a mix of sorrow, regret, and the harsh truth that life’s dangers can affect anyone, regardless of their strength,” according to the release.
Sheriff Lorenzo Aguilar said the press release was in response to the State Police’s press release saying that Merrifield could have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
“An autopsy was performed on Monday, April 21, 2025,” Wilson wrote. “The cause of death remains under investigation and autopsy results are pending. The possibility of the Sheriff being under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or drug is being investigated.”
Undersheriff
temporarily sworn in
Undersheriff Monica Salazar was sworn in over the phone as the interim sheriff, shortly after Merrifield’s death was reported, by District Judge Bryan Beidscheid. This was done to “address concerns about who had authority to act after the unexpected death of Sheriff Merrifield,” Administrative Office of the Courts Spokesman Barry Massey wrote in an email.
The following day, the Rio Arriba County Commission unanimously voted to appoint Aguilar, a RASO major, as sheriff. It took them only 10 minutes to make the determination: they entered executive session at 10:05 a.m. and exited at 10:15 a.m., at which point they announced that Aguilar would be appointed sheriff.
Though County Commissioner Alex Naranjo wanted to discuss the appointment during the public meeting, the commission entered executive session at the urging of Commission Chair Brandon Bustos and County Attorney Adan Trujillo.
Salazar will continue her role as undersheriff, one of the few at-will positions under statute.