Billy The Kid Might Be Pardoned

After Jim Morrison, another historical figure might receive a pardon from the United States authorities. This time is Billy the Kid, a famous bandit of the 19th centuryʼs Wild West, who allegedly killed over twenty men. The initiative belongs to Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, and it could be fulfilled by the end of the year.

Bill Richardson based his proposal on an legend about the famous villain. He is believed to have been promised a pardon by the former New Mexico Territorial Governor Lew Wallace, in exchange for a testimony in a murder trial. But afterwards, Wallace did not keep his promise and didnʼt grand the pardon. Bill Richardson declared himself fascinated with the stateʼs history and especially with the legend of Billy the Kidʼs promised pardon. But he also assured everyone that, before taking a decision, he would carefully consider all the arguments and all the facts available about the deal between Billy the Kid and Governor Wallace.

In order to reach a decision, the two-term Democratic governor talked to historians and other specialists and even launched a website for them to express their opinions. In fact, over the years Richardson received several pardon requests from Billy the Kidʼs descendants, but so far this is the first formal petiton he had received on the issue. It was submitted by a famous trial attorney and western history buff, Randi McGinn; she was the one appointed to study all the facts and documents from the 19th century and to conclude whether there is enough evidence for the pardon to be seriously considered.

McGinn said that the pardon would correct an injustice done to Billy the Kid, after Governor Wallace refused to keep his word and pardon the villain for all his charges, most of which commited during the deadly and long-time running armed factional conflict known as the Lincoln County War. She also explained that the pardon would be a sign that authorities actually keep their promises and deals made in  for a citizen risking his life to testify against a criminal who committed murder.

Billy the Kidʼs real name was Henry McCarty and, in New Mexico, he also went by the name of William Bonney. According to the legend, he killed 21 men, but the media of the time turned him into a romatic figure by the time of his death, in his early 20s. The bandit was shot in 1881 by Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett after breaking out of a jail where he was awaiting execution.