RIO ARRIBA COUNTY, N.M. — New Mexico State Police revealed more details Wednesday about the recent death of Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield and the ongoing investigation.

Agents with the NMSP Investigations Bureau were able to put together a timeline through interviews with the sheriff’s associates. At about 3 a.m. Sunday, a friend of the sheriff said he received a call from a woman who said she was with Merrifield, and they had been involved in a minor crash in his patrol vehicle while he was off-duty.

The friend said he found the patrol vehicle about a half-mile from Merrifield’s home. The sheriff told his friend that it was all right, and the friend helped get Merrifield and his vehicle back to the house.

The woman and the friend both left the residence with Merrifield still inside his vehicle. By 10 a.m., however, the friend said he had made several phone calls to check on the sheriff that had gone unanswered. When the friend return to Merrifield’s home, he found the sheriff unresponsive and called 911. The friend and later paramedics both tried CPR to no avail, and Merrifield was pronounced dead at the scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator.

Investigators continue to look into the case. An autopsy was performed Monday, but results are still pending. The investigation includes looking into whether or not Merrifield was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.