Western Outlaw's Crimes, Legends & Death Explained

The MGM+ series Billy the Kid takes a fresh look at one of the most notorious outlaws of the Old West, chronicling his crimes & historical impact.

Summary

• "Billy the Kid" MGM+ series offers a sympathetic portrayal of the infamous Old West outlaw's upbringing, crimes, and legacy - but it may not be entirely accurate.
• The true story of Billy the Kid is clouded in mystery, with details like his birthplace and his father's death remaining uncertain. The show's creators had to fill in the gaps with their own imagination.
• Billy the Kid became an outlaw out of necessity after being orphaned at a young age. He joined various gangs and eventually became a key figure in the Lincoln County War, before being killed by Pat Garrett at the age of 21.

The MGM+ series Billy the Kid chronicles the mostly true account of the legendary Old West outlaw William H. Bonney. The Western series closely follows the rise and fall of one of the most infamous and murderous figures of the late 1800s set in the frontier-expanding United States. Billy the Kid has been depicted in several other variations of film and television throughout cinematic history, most notably in the 1973 revisionist Western movie Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid directed by acclaimed director Sam Peckinpah. The MGM+ series offers a sympathetic deep dive into the controversial figure's upbringing, crimes, and ultimate legacy.

Some aspects of Billy the Kid's true story are clouded in mystery simply because they weren't recorded, such as his exact place of birth. It's presumed that Billy was born in either September or November of 1859 to Irish Catholic parents somewhere in New York. It's uncertain exactly how Billy's father died and Billy the Kid season 1 leaves that intentionally ambiguous. Season 1 also shows his younger brother Joe dying of tuberculosis when in reality he lived to 67. There are only a few known photographs of Billy the Kid in existence, requiring show creator Michael Hirst (Vikings) and his writing staff to fill in several blanks, shaping a compelling yet slightly inaccurate story.

Billy The Kid's Real Name & Aliases Explained

William H. Bonney went by several aliases as he aged and gained notoriety, but none were more famous than his iconic Billy the Kid nickname. Billy was born as Henry McCarty to parents Catherine and Patrick. After Billy's father passed away, his mother eventually remarried a man named William Henry Harrison Antrim whom she met in Indiana. Antrim took Catherine, Billy, and Joe to live with him in Wichita, Kansas where Joe fully took on Antrim's surname. The family later moved to New Mexico, where Catherine died and Antrim abandoned both boys.

Billy the Kid season 1 features a young Henry McCarty being referred to as Kid Antrim for a brief stint before Billy started running with an alias he made up himself, William H. Bonney. When he started working with Jesse Evans and his gang, everyone referred to him as William H. Bonney until Pat Garrett coined the iconic nickname Billy the Kid for him. In reality, Garrett was not the one who gave Billy his iconic name but it's believed that the press widely popularized it. As bounties for Billy's head or capture began to rack up in multiple New Mexican counties, the name Billy the Kid spread like wildfire across the Old West, and the legend was born.

Billy The Kid Became An Outlaw After Being Orphaned At Age 15

Billy the Kid turned to a life of crime mostly out of necessity after becoming an orphan at the age of 15. His first crimes were petty theft for food as well as burglary in a Chinese laundry for which he was charged with theft and jailed. Billy, still going by Henry McCarty at the time, escaped from jail only two days later and became a fugitive. The real-life McCarty sought refuge from Antrim although Billy the Kid leaves that part out. Antrim kicked McCarty out after he stole guns and clothes from him, ending their strained relationship.

McCarty fled to Arizona and found work as a cattle rancher while also gambling his earnings on card games. Henry continued to go by his given name in 1876 when he started working as a ranch hand for the prominent rancher Henry Hooker. Before long, McCarty fell back into a life of crime by stealing horses from United States soldiers in the area. Despite his illegal activities, McCarty was considered widely liked and had a friendly personality which got him the name Kid Antrim among his peers.

Billy The Kid's Time With The Regulators & Lincoln County War Explained

By 1877, Henry McCarty fully adopted the alias William H. Bonney. That same year, he also got into a fight with a local blacksmith and accidentally shot him in self-defense. This led Bonney to flee Arizona by stealing a horse from the Apache tribe and traveling to New Mexico, where he met a gang of cattle raiders and linked up with Jesse Evans. Bonney spent time in New Mexico and eventually started working for John Tunstall, a prominent Englishman who had a vested interest in owning and controlling Lincoln County, New Mexico.

Billy the Kid season 1 depicts Bonney working briefly with Jesse's gang under Lawrence Murphy, James Dolan, and John Riley before siding with Tunstall after discovering that Murphy was willing to kill dozens of innocent natives to take control of Lincoln County. Determined to try a straight life under Tunstall's leadership, Billy the Kid became one of the Regulators alongside Charlie Bowdre, George Coe, and Tom O'Folliard to defend and enforce Tunstall's interests. The Lincoln County War officially began in February 1978 following the murder of Tunstall at the hands of Murphy's gunslingers and concluded with the death of Tunstall's lawyer Alex McSween in July of that year.

Billy The Kid's 1881 Arrest & Escape Explained

Billy the Kid survived the Lincoln County War despite supporting Tunstall's losing side and becoming one of the biggest fugitives in the United States as a result. Billy, along with fellow Regulators O'Folliard and Bowdre, went on the run together and escaped evasion of the law until November 1880 when a group of lawmen led by Pat Garrett shot and killed O'Folliard in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Garrett's posse was able to kill Bowdre and capture Bonney just one month later, taking him to Santa Fe, New Mexico in April 1881.

Bonney was found guilty of killing a Sheriff in the Lincoln County War but was able to escape after attacking another lawman while making a trip to the outhouse. According to the legend, Billy the Kid was able to slip out of his handcuffs and beat lawman James Bell, stealing his gun and fatally shooting him in the back. He then broke into Pat Garrett's office, acquired a loaded shotgun, and killed another lawman Bob Olinger. He freed himself of the chains on his legs, got a horse, and rode out of Lincoln, New Mexico, apparently singing.

Billy The Kid Was Killed By Pat Garrett In 1881 At Age 21

Billy the Kid finally met his demise at the hands of Pat Garrett when he was only 21 years old. Garrett and two deputies were able to track down Bonney's whereabouts only three months after his escape. Following rumors that Bonney was still in the surrounding area of Fort Sumner, New Mexico, Garrett was able to question a known friend of Bonney's named Pete Maxwell. Maxwell revealed that Bonney had been at his house earlier that day which prompted Garrett and his men to hide in the house and hope for his return. Bonney eventually came back that night and received a bullet in the chest from Pat Garrett, which killed him.

Did Billy The Kid Survive His Gunshot Wound? Rumors & Legends Explained

After the announced death of Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett became a local legend himself, collecting the bounties for the murder of Bonney from the Governor of New Mexico. Many rumors began to surface that Billy the Kid was actually still alive and that Garrett didn't kill him because the two once worked together and were considered friends. These rumors inspired multiple impostors to claim that they were the true Billy the Kid, however, most of the attempts at impersonation were unsuccessful. While the death of Billy the Kid by Pat Garrett is only proven in recorded history, it is still widely considered the cause of death for the infamous outlaw despite a lack of conclusive evidence.