LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: On September 23, 1875, Billy the Kid was apprehended for the first time after pilfering a load of laundry.
Subsequently, he managed to escape from jail and roamed the western frontier of the United States, eventually establishing a notorious reputation as an outlaw and murderer, with a criminal record that reportedly listed 21 homicides.
The precise details of Billy the Kid's birth remain uncertain, except for his given name - William Henry McCarty.
It is believed that he was born between 1859 and 1861, with potential birthplaces being Indiana or New York.
During childhood, he lacked a paternal relationship and frequently relocated with his family, residing in various places, including Indiana, Kansas, Colorado, and Silver City, New Mexico.
Tragically, his mother died in 1874, and shortly thereafter, Billy the Kid, who adopted various aliases in his lifetime, such as Kid Antrim and William Bonney, delved into a life of crime.
Billy the Kid became an orphan as a teen
Raised by a single mother, Billy relocated to Wichita, Kansas, during his childhood before eventually moving westward to New Mexico in the early 1870s.
Henry quickly adapted to the rugged life of the frontier, becoming fluent in Spanish.
Unfortunately, his mother fell victim to tuberculosis in 1874, leaving him an orphan at just 14 years old. Left in the care of an absentee stepfather, the future gunslinger spent the following year residing in foster homes and boarding houses.
Before long, he became involved with a rough crowd and turned to minor criminal activities and theft.
The Kid's initial encounter with the law occurred in 1875 when he assisted a local troublemaker known as "Sombrero Jack" in stealing clothing from a Chinese laundry. Henry concealed the stolen goods in his boarding house, but he was arrested after his landlord reported him to the sheriff, according to History.com.
The crime carried only a minor penalty, but instead of facing punishment, the wiry youth made a daring escape from the jail by climbing up a chimney. McCarty then left town and embarked on a life as a roaming ranch hand, gambler, and member of a gang.
He became proficient with a Winchester rifle and a Colt revolver, and in August 1877, he killed his first man during a dispute in an Arizona saloon. That same year, he adopted the alias "William H Bonney" and became known as "Billy the Kid" or simply "The Kid."
Billy played a significant role in a feud on the frontier
Billy the Kid gained notoriety as a gunslinger in 1878 when he became involved in a violent conflict in Lincoln County, New Mexico.
This feud revolved around a business rivalry between British-born rancher John Tunstall and two Irish businessmen named James Dolan and Lawrence Murphy.
Dolan and Murphy's enterprise, known as "The House", had a longstanding monopoly over the dry goods and cattle trades in Lincoln County.
When they attempted to intimidate Tunstall's burgeoning business, the Englishman enlisted the Kid and several other gunmen to protect his property.
Tensions finally erupted in February 1878 when Tunstall was killed by a posse led by Sheriff William Brady, who supported The House.
After Tunstall's murder, the Kid and several former associates formed a vigilante group called "The Regulators" and swore vengeance.
This period became known as the "Lincoln County War," during which the Regulators assassinated Sheriff Brady and engaged in shootouts with The House's forces for several months.
In July 1878, the feud culminated in a deadly five-day firefight in the town of Lincoln. Following this, the Regulators disbanded, and the two factions reluctantly agreed to a fragile peace.
The Kid emerged from the conflict with a reputation as one of the West's most skilled gunmen but remained a fugitive wanted for Sheriff Brady's murder, spending the rest of his life on the run from the law.
Billy never committed train or bank robberies
Unlike other Old West outlaws such as Jesse James, Cole Younger, or Butch Cassidy, Billy the Kid did not make his living as a bandit. While the young gunslinger occasionally stole horses, he never attempted to rob a bank, train, or even a stagecoach.
Apart from his involvement in gunfights as a regulator, his primary criminal activity involved cattle rustling on the plains of New Mexico.
He was implicated in at least nine homicides
The Kid was known for his affable demeanor but was unafraid to resort to violence when provoked.
Over four years from 1877 to 1881, the youthful outlaw was linked to the shooting deaths of around nine men, with at least four of these killings attributed solely to him.
One particularly legendary gunfight took place in January 1880 at a New Mexico saloon. According to the story, a drunk named Joe Grant was causing trouble in the bar, threatening to kill someone by the end of the night. Sensing danger, the Kid casually approached Grant and remarked, "That’s a mighty nice-looking six-shooter you got.”
He then disarmed Grant's gun, spun its cylinder so the next shot would be empty, and returned it.
This proved to be a wise move, as later that evening, Grant attempted to shoot the Kid in the back with the same pistol, only to find it wouldn't fire.
The Kid responded by drawing his gun and fatally shooting Grant.
The Kid staged a famous jailbreak
In late 1880, Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett tracked down the Kid to a cabin in Stinking Springs, New Mexico, and secured his surrender.
The outlaw was convicted of Sheriff William Brady's murder and confined to the Lincoln courthouse, awaiting his date with the hangman.
However, on the evening of April 28, 1881, the Kid orchestrated a daring escape, one of the most audacious of his criminal career.
While using an outhouse, the Kid managed to slip out of his handcuffs, ambushed a guard, and fatally shot him with his pistol.
He then armed himself with a double-barreled shotgun and killed a second guard crossing the street. With control of the courthouse, the Kid gathered a small arsenal of weapons, cut his leg shackles using a pickaxe, and fled the town on a stolen horse.
News of this audacious escape quickly spread across the country, making the Kid the most wanted man in the West.
Billy the Kid was only 21 years old when he met his end
After escaping from death row, the Kid spent several months hiding on the frontier and finding refuge with sympathetic locals in Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
However, he failed to maintain a low profile, and it wasn't long before Sheriff Pat Garrett and two deputies arrived in town. On the night of July 14, 1881, Garrett went to rancher Peter Maxwell's house to inquire about the outlaw's whereabouts.
Just as he woke Maxwell, the Kid also approached the house, having stopped nearby to obtain beef for a late dinner.
Upon noticing the silhouette of one of Garrett's deputies on the porch, the Kid drew his pistol and retreated towards the door, asking, "Quién es?" (Spanish for "Who's that?").
As he entered Maxwell's darkened bedroom, he spotted Garrett's shadowy figure and once again inquired, "Quién es?" Upon recognizing the Kid's voice, Sheriff Garrett drew his six-shooter and fired two shots in his direction.
One of the bullets struck the 21-year-old outlaw near his heart, instantly killing him.
Some believe the Kid's death in 1881 is questionable
There are doubts about Billy the Kid's death in 1881. Pat Garrett, known as an Old West legend for killing him, faced rumors over the years suggesting he might have either mistakenly shot the wrong person or been involved in a staged death.
In the late 1940s, an elderly Texan, "Brushy Bill" Roberts, claimed to be the Kid, but his story was discredited when family records showed his birthdate as 1879. Some investigators even propose that the Kid lived to old age under the name "John Miller."
In 2005, Miller's supposed remains were exhumed, but a plan to compare his DNA with the Kid's never materialized.
Despite the controversy, historical records indicate that various people positively identified the Kid's body the day after his shooting, leading most historians to believe that Sheriff Garrett indeed killed the right man.
Billy the Kid's fame persisted long after his death, inspiring over 50 movies. While he was a celebrity during his lifetime, his legend grew even more through dime novels, television series, and Hollywood films.
Starting with the 1911 silent film 'Billy the Kid', his story has graced the silver screen in various adaptations, with notable actors like Roy Rogers, Paul Newman, Val Kilmer, and Emilio Estevez portraying The Kid.