Did Billy the Kid Survive? Brad Meltzer's Decoded: Billy the Kid's Mysterious Death (S2, E6)

Transcript

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST OUTLAWS, BILLY THE KID, WASN'T KILLED BY SHERIFF PAT GARRETT, BUT LIVED FOR DECADES LONGER THAN ANYONE KNEW? MOST BELIEVE BILLY WAS GUNNED DOWN IN COLD BLOOD ON JULY 14, 1881, AT FORT SUMNER, NEW MEXICO. BUT THE ONLY WRITTEN ACCOUNT OF THE EVENTS WAS AUTHORED BY GARRETT HIMSELF. [ GUNSHOT ] SOME SAY... Read More

Key Insights

• Billy the Kid's accepted death is based largely on an account written by Pat Garrett, the sheriff credited with killing him at Fort Sumner on July 14, 1881. That conflict of interest makes Garrett's version central to both the official history and the doubts surrounding it.
• Billy the Kid used several names during his short life, including William Henry McCarty, William Antrim, Kid Antrim, and William H. Bonny. His small size and youthful appearance reportedly helped produce the nickname by which he became famous.
• John Tunstall's murder transformed Billy's attempt at legitimate ranch work into a campaign of revenge. Billy joined the Regulators after Tunstall was killed in February 1878, placing him at the center of the violent Lincoln County War.
• Billy the Kid's reputation as a killer exceeds what the surviving claims can establish with certainty. Estimates presented in the investigation range from four victims to 26, demonstrating how disputed evidence and popular storytelling shaped his outlaw image.
• Pat Garrett captured Billy before Christmas 1880 by surrounding the Regulators in an abandoned building and denying them food. Billy eventually surrendered, but he later escaped from custody in Lincoln after Garrett left town while preparations were being made for his hanging.
• Billy the Kid's courthouse escape contains disputed details about how he obtained a weapon and killed Deputy J.W. Bell. Garrett's account says Billy stole a gun and shot Bell in the back, while investigators suggest evidence may support a gun having been hidden in the outhouse.
• Billy the Kid's burial site cannot provide a simple answer because the grave reportedly flooded twice, leaving the body's location uncertain. Attempts to compare DNA from men claiming to be Billy with his mother's remains were also thwarted by the courts.
• The survival theory remains unproven despite weaknesses in the accepted narrative. Multiple men claimed to be Billy, including the figure identified in the episode chapters as Brushy Bill, but unresolved identity claims and unavailable physical evidence do not establish that Garrett spared or missed the outlaw.

Questions & Answers

Q: Did Billy the Kid survive his reported death?

The investigation does not establish whether Billy the Kid survived. It finds reasons to doubt the accepted account, including its reliance on Pat Garrett’s narrative, an uncertain burial site, blocked DNA comparisons, and multiple later claimants, but none of these proves that Billy lived beyond July 14, 1881.

Q: What is the accepted account of Billy the Kid’s death?

The accepted account says Sheriff Pat Garrett shot Billy the Kid at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, on July 14, 1881. The principal written narrative of the event was authored by Garrett himself, making his account central to both the official story and the doubts about it.

Q: Why is Pat Garrett’s account of Billy the Kid’s death disputed?

Garrett was both the sheriff credited with killing Billy and the author of the principal written account. The episode also raises doubts about whether Garrett could have surprised and outdrawn the notorious gunslinger, leaving the account without conclusive independent verification.

Q: Why can’t Billy the Kid’s grave settle the mystery?

The grave where Garrett reportedly buried Billy flooded twice. As a result, the whereabouts of the body are uncertain, preventing the burial site from providing a straightforward physical confirmation of his death.

Q: Could DNA testing determine whether Billy the Kid survived?

DNA testing was proposed to compare men who claimed to be Billy with Billy’s mother. According to the investigation, the courts thwarted those attempts, so the comparisons did not resolve the competing identity claims.

Q: How did Billy the Kid become involved in the Lincoln County War?

Billy went to Lincoln at 17 intending to work as a cattle hand and was hired by wealthy cattleman John Tunstall. After Tunstall was murdered in February 1878, Billy joined the deputized Regulators and pursued revenge against those believed responsible.

Q: What names did Billy the Kid use?

He was known as William Henry McCarty in childhood and William Antrim during his teens. He later used Kid Antrim and was identified as William H. Bonny on his supposed tombstone; his small size and youthful appearance helped shorten his nickname to “the Kid.”

Q: How many people did Billy the Kid kill?

The investigation says the number remains disputed. Estimates range from as few as four or nine victims to 21 or 26, showing how uncertain evidence and legend shaped his reputation.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Billy the Kid became an outlaw after the murder of his employer, John Tunstall, drew him into the Lincoln County War. Although some local Hispanics viewed him as a Robin Hood figure, accounts differ greatly about his crimes and killings, illustrating how quickly the historical person became inseparable from the legend.

• Sheriff Pat Garrett captured Billy in late 1880, and Billy was convicted and sentenced to hang. Garrett later left Lincoln while Billy was guarded in the courthouse. Billy escaped, killing two guards, but the episode raises questions about why Garrett departed instead of assigning someone else to prepare the gallows.

• The accepted account says Garrett killed Billy at Fort Sumner on July 14, 1881, but Garrett also authored the principal written narrative. Later claimants, blocked DNA testing, conflicting testimony, and uncertainty about the grave prevent a definitive resolution. The investigation finds significant weaknesses without proving that Billy survived.