The Lost Pardon of Billy the Kid

Analysis of the lost Pardon of Billy the Kid for murders committed during the Lincoln County War reveals New Mexico Territory’s desperate uprisings in the 1870’s against expanding tyranny of the Santa Fe Ring, Governor Lew Wallace’s dilemma, and the tragic outcome of the crushed freedom fight that yielded the myth of “Billy the Kid.”

A mystery in Old West history has been why Governor Lew Wallace never issued Billy Bonney aka Billy the Kid the pardon for his three Lincoln County War murder indictments, which Billy believed was promised in exchange for his giving Grand Jury testimony against Santa Fe Ring murderers. And lack of that pardon resulted in Billy’s hanging trial, jailbreak, and killing by Sheriff Pat Garrett as an outlaw on July 14, 1881.

Was the pardon promise real, or merely Wallace’s trick of wording? Had Wallace reneged? Or had Wallace yielded to corrupt pressures? Was a pardon deserved? Did Wallace have legal power to grant that pardon? Did Billy fulfill his side of the pardon bargain? Why did Billy’s lawyer never make a formal pardon petition to Wallace? Who were the pardon’s opponents? Were others pardoned by Wallace for Lincoln County War indictments? Could the Secret Service have independently pardoned Billy? Why did Billy risk a pardon rejection, when simply leaving the Territory would have saved his life? Were others secretly involved in seeking his pardon? Why did Billy testify in a Court of Inquiry against a military commander, separate from the pardon bargain? Why has it taken so long to reveal the truth? Should there be a posthumous pardon?

This huge book gives all the answers, and yields a revolutionary revision of Billy the Kid history.