Billy the Kid is probably the most well-known outlaw in New Mexican History. But as a result of his infamy, many mistakes and rumors that deviate from the real story have been made. One such rumor states that killed a man for every year of his life at age 21. Another says that he made his first kill when he was 12. The real truth has been convoluted over the years, but his story went something like this. Henry McCarty was born near the Manhattan area of New York. His family moved many times, but ultimately ended up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As a young child and teenager, McCarty got into trouble frequently. His petty crime count was high, and he was quite familiar with the town sheriff. Finally, the sheriff caught him robbing a laundry and …show more content…
It was around this point that Bonney became known as Billy the Kid. He had committed several more murders by this point and was living on the run. A $500.00 bounty was posted, which only made things harder for The Kid. He was captured and sentenced to hang on December. 23, 1880. the Kid was being held in a Lincoln Courthouse on the top floor. One of the deputies watching him took a break, leaving his partner, James Bell, alone with Billy. Billy asked to be taken to the outhouse behind the courthouse where he was being held. Bell agreed, and they started the walk down. Billy hid behind a corner, slipped out of his cuffs, and shot the deputy with his own gun. This is a famous escape in New Mexican …show more content…
Nearly three months after his escape, Billy visited a house owned by Pete Maxwell. Previously, Pat Garrett had received a tip that the Kid was in the vicinity, and picked the right night to question Pete Maxwell. Maxwell and Garrett were talking in a darkened bedroom when Billy, unaware that Garrett was there, walked into the room. Billy asked who was there, and Garrett, recognizing his voice, shot blindly into the dark. The first of two bullets pierced The Kid's heart, killing him instantly. At last, Garrett's search was over. The infamous outlaw died on July 14, 1881. After it was all over, rumors stating that Garrett had ambushed the Kid unfairly came into circulation. Consequently, Pat Garrett helped to write a book called The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid, explaining in detail the Kid's many crimes. Over the years, there have been people that claimed they were Billy the Kid. The most notable was Brushy Bill Roberts. Roberts managed to convince many that he was Billy the Kid before he died. My opinion is that the Kid was killed by Pat Garrett that night, but nobody knows for