1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 1: Crime alert imancy grace breaking crime is now allegations mount 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 1: against Emmy Award winner Timothy Busfield, the spouse of Little 3 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert. His lawyer trying 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: to deflect, says the West Wing actor passed a voluntary 5 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: independent polygraph test, denying all claims crime stories. 6 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 2: Nicole Parton explains, Nancy Busfield was ordered held without bond 7 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: at his first court appearance on Wednesday, a day after 8 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 2: he turned himself in to face charges stemming from allegations 9 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 2: that he inappropriately touched a minor on the set of 10 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 2: a TV series he was directing in New Mexico. This 11 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 2: as new details emerge about a separate misconduct allegation against him. 12 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,959 Speaker 2: In the seven page filing, New Mexico prosecutors said law 13 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 2: enforcement officers received a report Thursday from the alleged victim's father, 14 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 2: who said Busfield kissed his sixteen year old daughter and 15 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 2: inappropriately touched her quote several years ago. But Melissa Gilbert 16 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 2: is standing resolutely by her husband, Timothy Buzzfield, as he 17 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 2: confronts these serious sexual abuse allegations. The sixty one year 18 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 2: old actress, known for her role in Little House on 19 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 2: the Prairie has been named as a potential witness for 20 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 2: Busfield's defense, and a court document filed on Friday. The 21 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 2: filing contains Busfield's response to the stage request for pretrial attention, 22 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 2: listing thirteen people, including Melissa Gilbert, his wife, who may 23 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 2: testify on his behalf. In addition to her potential witness role, 24 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 2: Gilbert has written a heartfelt letter to the judge expressing 25 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 2: her unwavering support for her husband. This document also includes 26 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 2: seventy five letters from family and colleagues advocating for Busfield. 27 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 2: In her letter, Gilbert described her bond with her husband, 28 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 2: recalling their initial meeting in the nineteen eighties and their 29 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: sol subsequent reconnection years later. She mentioned that they fell 30 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: in love in twenty twelve, stating Tim Bussfield is my love, 31 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 2: my rock, my partner in business and life. His joy, humor, 32 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 2: and quick wit light up my days. He is the 33 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 2: heartbeat of our vibrant and loving extended family. She emphasized 34 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: Busfield's strong moral character, saying he possesses the most solid 35 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 2: moral compass I've ever encountered. His life is dedicated to 36 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 2: serving others, and he approaches each day with kindness and compassion. 37 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 2: Gilbert also praised her husband's mentorship of her youngest son, Michael, 38 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 2: describing his influence as profound. She credited his military experiences 39 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 2: for instilling values of honor, integrity, and compassion in him. 40 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 2: In closing her letter, Gilbert reflected on the emotional strain 41 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 2: of addressing the court, saying quote, as he is my protector, 42 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 2: I am his but I cannot protect him now, and 43 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 2: I think that, more than anything else, is what is 44 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 2: truly heartbreaking. I'm relying on you to protect him for me. 45 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 2: An arrest one for the acclaimed director and Emmy winning actor, 46 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 2: was issued on January nine. The investigation into the allegations 47 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 2: against Busfield began on November one, twenty twenty four, following 48 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 2: a report from a physician at the University of New 49 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 2: Mexico Hospital regarding suspected sexual abuse of twin boys who 50 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 2: were child actors and worked on set with Busfield. 51 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: Nicole thank you. A preliminary hearing set January twenty nine. 52 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: More Crimate justice news after this. 53 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 2: And to Tennessee. In a shocking incident, a son fatally 54 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: attacked his mother while she was watching television, killed her cat, 55 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 2: and then casually settled down with a drink to watch 56 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 2: the rest of the television program she was watching before 57 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 2: he headed off to bed. It was September eighth, twenty 58 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 2: twenty three deputies from the Blunt County Sheriff's Office were 59 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 2: alerted to a possible dead body at a resident. Upon arrival, 60 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 2: first responders found sixty three year old Kimberly Hayes dead 61 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 2: in her home, suffering from multiple stab wounds that indicated 62 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: foul play. Additionally, investigators found a cat inside the residence 63 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 2: that also died after being stabbed. Authorities quickly identified Kimberly's son, 64 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 2: Zachary Justin Hayes, twenty five, as the main suspect in 65 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 2: her murder. He was arrested and charged with multiple homicide 66 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 2: related charges, and a recorded pre booking interview was shown 67 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 2: in court on January thirty, twenty four to explain his 68 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 2: side of the story. He said, in part, I was 69 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 2: not looking forward to it, planning it. I just saw 70 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 2: her watching television and decided it's a good night to 71 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 2: kill my mother. Hayes told police that he did not 72 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 2: have much reason to stab his mother to death, which 73 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: he did while she was watching television in her living room. 74 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 2: Hayes said that after killing his mother, he poured himself 75 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 2: a drink and finished watching the television show she had on, 76 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 2: and when went to bed. Kimberly's body was found by 77 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 2: a worried coworker who arrived at her home to find 78 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 2: the grizzly scene after she didn't show up for work. 79 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,919 Speaker 2: Now at age twenty seven, Hayes has pleaded guilty to 80 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 2: murder in the second degree, abuse of a corpse, aggravated 81 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 2: cruelty to animals, and intentional killing of an animal. On 82 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 2: January sixteen, he was sentenced to thirty seven years in prison. 83 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: James Selait makes his dream of traveling across the country 84 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: on bicycle a reality his latest cross country ride from Saginaw, Michigan, 85 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: to Reading, Pennsylvania. He spends the winter exploring Pennsylvania and 86 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: sets out for Surf City, North Carolina, April one. April eight, 87 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: he sends a text to family saying he accidentally left 88 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: his backpack on the side of the road while changing 89 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 1: a tire. When he went back for it, it was gone. 90 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:55,919 Speaker 1: His money, ID and maps were inside. He never makes 91 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: it to Serf City. His phone stops pinging after the 92 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: last text from Clarksville, Maryland, James Solac fifty nine five eleven, 93 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: one hundred and sixty five pounds, gray hair, blue eyes, 94 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: usually with mustache and goateee. He has the name Helen 95 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: tattooed on his upper left arm. If you have info 96 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: on James Solac, please call Central Burkes, Pennsylvania PD six' 97 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: one zero seven seventy nine eleven hundred. For the latest 98 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:27,840 Speaker 1: crime Instice news, go to crime online dot com and 99 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: please join us for our daily podcast, Crime Stories, where 100 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: we do our best to find missing people, especially children, 101 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: and solve unsolved homicides. With this crime art, I'm Nancy Grace.