15-05-2025
Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield died of fentanyl, alcohol toxicity
May 15—Former Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield died last month due to the toxic effects of fentanyl and ethanol, according to an autopsy report released by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Examiner Thursday morning.
The report concludes Merrifield died by "accident" due to the combined effects of the substances.
According to the autopsy, Merrifield had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.071 and 23 nanograms per millimeter of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid known for being 50 to 100 times as powerful as morphine.
The drug has become widely known to New Mexicans and Americans in recent years for its high risk of addiction and overdose.
Merrifield's body was found in his patrol vehicle outside his home overlooking Abiquiu Reservoir on Easter Sunday, April 20. New Mexico State Police handled the preliminary investigation and said the former Rio Arriba top cop had died "unexpectedly." Merrifield was 50.
According to a January report from the New Mexico Department of Health, fentanyl was involved in 65% of overdose deaths in the state in 2023. However, overall overdose deaths have declined 8% statewide since 2021, when they reached a peak of 1,029.
This is a developing story.
