OMI: FBI agent's son died of methadone overdose in Bernalillo County jail

The state Office of the Medical Investigator determined an FBI agent’s son died of a methadone overdose while being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center earlier this year.

Thomas Acee, 21, died of the toxic effects of methadone on July 23, with the manner listed as accidental, according to an autopsy obtained by the Journal through an Inspection of Public Records Act request.

The autopsy states that “at some point on July 22nd, Mr. Acee intentionally ingested liquid methadone that was provided by staff to another inmate.”

Inmates at MDC are given methadone when they are in a medication-assisted treatment, but “Mr. Acee was not prescribed methadone,” according to the autopsy.

A toxicology report found 550 nanograms per milliliter of methadone in Acee’s system. The report states in accidental methadone overdoses “especially in naive (non-tolerant) users,” levels as low as 140 ng/ml have been reported.

Acee, the son of lauded FBI agent Bryan Acee, had been at the jail since December 2024, when he was charged with an open count of murder in the August 2024 death of Michael Tubb, 13. The autopsy found Acee also had COVID at the time of his death.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and MDC’s Office of Professional Standards is investigating the death.

“That OPS investigation aims to answer questions about the events leading up to the death, including how the methadone was obtained,” MDC Warden Kai Smith said in an emailed statement. “BCSO’s investigation will determine if anyone will face charges as a result of this incident.”

The University of New Mexico Hospital provides health care at the jail and administers methadone and Suboxone to inmates in medication-assisted treatment. UNMH spokesperson Chris Ramirez said the current policy is for UNMH staff to conduct mouth checks to be sure inmates have swallowed the medicine — to ensure they aren’t giving it to other inmates.

It is unclear what the policy was at the time of Acee’s death, and Ramirez referred further questions to the jail. MDC spokesperson Candace Hopkins said, historically, the medical provider has conducted mouth checks.

Six people have died at MDC or died after being injured or falling ill at the facility since January, and since 2020, 38 people have died. The majority of those deaths involved people who were detoxing at the time and the causes were often drug-related.

In that time, and prior to UNMH coming in, YesCare and a previous for-profit company ran health care at MDC.

When he was first booked into MDC, and because of his familial ties, Thomas Acee was in a cell by himself and was not allowed to be around other inmates.

The autopsy states that, the same evening Acee took the methadone, he had been in a fight with another inmate. In the early morning hours, Acee, was found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead within minutes.

“Acee had been in his cell alone and was last seen alive approximately 1 hour earlier, alone in the cell, in bed,” according to the autopsy.

Acee’s trial in the homicide case was set to begin early next year, according to online court records. In that case, Acee allegedly shot into a vehicle in Downtown Albuquerque, believing someone who previously robbed him was inside.

At least one of those bullets struck Tubb, killing him.