# Did Billy the Kid live past his alleged death in 1881? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 25, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-billy-the-kid-live-past-his-alleged-death-in-1881/604087 "2011-11-25T21:43:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-billy-the-kid-live-past-his-alleged-death-in-1881/604087/1 "2011-11-25T21:43:30Z")
I was watching Brad Meltzer’s Decoded the other night and they had a show about Billy the Kid and how he may not have been gunned down as the history books record. The idea is that the only evidence we have for the official story is the word of Pat Garrett who the show made out to seem like a complete, all in for himself asshole. I’m not usually, actually not ever into conspiracy theories, but it seems that New Mexico at the time was lawless enough that some chicanery COULD have happened. They talked about Brushy Bill Roberts: [Brushy Bill Roberts - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ollie_P._Roberts) in 1950 who claimed to be Billy the Kid, had the same scars, knew things that others could not have, etc. What say ye? Anything that would put this one in the same category as JFK assassination or moon landing hoax conspiracies? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-billy-the-kid-live-past-his-alleged-death-in-1881/604087/2 "2011-11-25T21:47:24Z")
He started getting into trouble in his early teens. Shot several people. I find it hard to believe he could have disappeared after faking his death and never got into trouble again. He doesn’t sound like a guy that would work for a living. > [@](#): > > Forced to seek new lodgings when his foster family began to experience “domestic problems,” McCarty moved into a boarding house and pursued odd jobs.[23] In April 1875, McCarty was arrested by Grant County Sheriff Harvey Whitehill, after McCarty stole some cheese. On September 24, 1875, McCarty was again arrested when he was found in possession of clothing and firearms that a fellow boarder had stolen from a Chinese laundry owner.[24] Two days after McCarty was placed in jail, the teenager escaped by worming his way up the jailhouse chimney. From that point on, McCarty was more or less a fugitive.[25] According to some accounts, he eventually found work as an itinerant ranch hand and shepherd in southeastern Arizona.[26] In 1876, he settled in the vicinity of Fort Grant Army Post in Arizona, where he worked local ranches and tested his skills at local gaming houses.[27] Sheriff Whitehill would later say that he liked the boy, and his acts of theft were more due to necessity than wantonness. > **[Billy the Kid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_the_Kid)** > > Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859 – July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders, four for which he was solely responsible, and five in which he may have played a role alongside others. He is also noted for his involvement in New Mexico's Lincoln County War. > McCarty was orphaned at the age of 15. His first arrest was for stealing food at the age of 16 in 1875. Ten da... ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-billy-the-kid-live-past-his-alleged-death-in-1881/604087/3 "2011-11-26T02:48:35Z")
I’ve heard this claim before. IIRC, the only evidence for it is Roberts’ word on it and some vague circumstantial evidence. On the other hand, Roberts accounts of things sometimes doesn’t match up with other historical records, so either the recorded history is wrong or Roberts was wrong. Sometimes the historical account of things isn’t exactly right, though. It’s not 100 percent conclusive either way, but I personally am less than convinced. It sounds to me more like Roberts just wanted a bit of fame for himself in his later years.