On July 14, 1881, the curtains closed on the life of one of the Wild West’s most notorious outlaws, Billy the Kid. Despite his reputation as a gunslinger and his involvement in a series of daring escapades, his demise did not occur during a dramatic shootout or a barroom brawl. Instead, it took place in a dimly lit room in Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
Billy the Kid’s Life of Crime
Billy the Kid, whose real name was Henry McCarty, was born around 1859 in the slums of New York City. After moving west, he was orphaned at a young age when his mother died in 1874. From that point on, he set out on a path of crime and infamy.
In 1875, McCarty encountered trouble with the law for the first time. Although his role was only that of a lookout during a crime, his escape from the local county jail made headlines and introduced him to the public eye.
Over the next few years, Henry McCarty transformed himself into the legendary outlaw known as Billy the Kid.
From Infamy to Notoriety
Billy the Kid’s criminal career gained momentum in 1877 when he killed his first man, Francis Cahill, during a heated poker game altercation. The following year, he became entangled in the Lincoln County War. Alongside a group called “The Regulators,” Billy the Kid sought revenge for the death of rancher John Tunstall at the hands of Sheriff William Brady’s posse. In a twist of fate, they also assassinated Sheriff Brady.
Billy the Kid’s involvement in the Lincoln County War solidified his reputation as a skilled gunslinger, but it also made him a target. Not only had he killed a lawman, but he had also claimed the lives of numerous others, boasting of 21 kills (although historians believe the actual number is closer to nine).
However, in 1880, his past finally caught up with him. Sheriff Pat Garrett apprehended Billy the Kid in Stinking Springs, New Mexico. A few months later, the outlaw was found guilty of Sheriff Brady’s murder and sentenced to death.
But Billy the Kid had one last trick up his sleeve. On April 28, 1881, he made a daring escape, killing two guards and riding off on a stolen horse with pilfered weapons. Determined to bring him to justice, Pat Garrett relentlessly pursued him, which eventually led to their final, fatal encounter.
The Final Showdown
After months on the run, Pat Garrett and his deputies received a tip that Billy the Kid might be hiding at the Maxwell ranch in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. On the night of July 14, 1881, they stealthily made their way to the ranch.
As described in Garrett’s biography, he entered the farmhouse alone, finding Peter Maxwell awake in bed amidst the darkness. Just as Garrett began to question Maxwell about Billy the Kid’s whereabouts, a figure appeared at the doorway. It was the outlaw himself, armed with a knife and a revolver, having come to the ranch for dinner provisions.
Momentarily frozen at the head of Maxwell’s bed, Garrett speculated that the figure might be Maxwell’s brother-in-law. However, when the figure approached, demanding to know who else was in the room, Maxwell whispered to Garrett, confirming the intruder’s identity as Billy the Kid.
Reacting swiftly, Garrett drew his revolver and fired. The first shot hit Billy the Kid, but he managed to retreat across the room before Garrett fired again. The second shot proved unnecessary, as the Kid fell lifeless. He died without uttering a word, leaving behind a trail of mayhem and bloodshed.
The following day, a coroner’s jury officially identified the body as that of Billy the Kid and declared his death a justifiable homicide. The outlaw was buried in Fort Sumner.
Unanswered Questions
Despite the apparent finality of Billy the Kid’s death, questions and rumors surrounded the circumstances. Some speculated that Pat Garrett had faked the outlaw’s demise or that he had killed the wrong man.
It is true that Garrett’s deputies initially had doubts about the identity of the deceased. They mistook the barefooted man wielding a knife for a Mexican ranch hand and suspected that Garrett had shot the wrong individual.
These doubts persisted in the ensuing years, fueled further by claims from individuals like “Brushy Bill” Roberts, who alleged to be Billy the Kid in the 1940s. Others believed that the outlaw managed to survive, assuming new identities such as “John Miller.”
Yet, there exists no concrete evidence to support the theory that Billy the Kid eluded death at the hands of Pat Garrett. Moreover, a flood in 1904 washed away the grave marker, leaving the exact location of his body a mystery.
In his biography, Pat Garrett firmly affirmed the certainty of Billy the Kid’s demise at the Maxwell ranch in 1881. Despite lingering doubts, the case of Billy the Kid appears closed.