The Mysterious Life and Death of Billy the Kid
TLDR Billy the Kid, a notorious outlaw of the Wild West, was involved in the Lincoln County War and managed to escape from captivity before being shot and killed by Pat Garrett. Despite rumors of his survival, there is no conclusive evidence to support the claim that Billy the Kid lived to an old age.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Billy the Kid's death was faked and he went on to live to about 100-something years old in New Mexico.
02:14
Billy the Kid, also known as William Henry McCarty Jr. or William Bonney, was orphaned at 14 and became part of the Lincoln County regulators, a group of hired hands who went on a killing spree after their employer was killed, leading to the Lincoln County War.
04:46
Billy the Kid was captured and awaiting execution in a locked room at the Lincoln County Courthouse, but managed to escape by overpowering his guard and taking his gun.
07:11
Billy the Kid escapes by shooting and killing the deputy guarding him, as well as another deputy who tries to stop him, and then flees on a horse.
10:00
Billy the Kid escapes and is on the run from Pat Garrett, who eventually finds him at the house of a friend named Peter Maxwell, where Billy the Kid is involved in a romantic relationship with Maxwell's younger sister.
12:43
Billy the Kid is shot and killed by Pat Garrett, but there are different versions of how it happened, with some suggesting that Billy was set up by Maxwell and Garrett.
15:11
Billy the Kid was likely ambushed and killed by Pat Garrett, despite rumors that Garrett let him escape and that he lived to an old age; there have been exhumations and DNA tests, but no conclusive evidence; a famous photo of Billy the Kid was bought for $2.3 million by William Koch; Pat Garrett was initially denied the reward for killing Billy the Kid but eventually received around $200,000 in today's dollars.
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Society & Culture