Lincoln County Sheriff Patrick Floyd Garrett, on his best day, couldn’t have imagined investigators, a century after the fact, possessing the ability to gaze into the past with the clarity to discover a lie; a lie he took to his grave. In every war there are two sides, the Lincoln County war was no different. However, there can only be one truth and all we can do is look to the evidence to determine what is logical or makes sense. Not everyone is going to come to the same conclusion. Nothing different than today. Criminal courts have the prosecution and defense and no matter what either thinks it is the jury opinion that counts. That’s what makes the story of the Kid so appealing - the jury is still out. Sheriff P. F. Garrett in his book, “The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid”, writes, “We have but the Kid’s tale, and the sparse information elicited from Mr. Geiss (sic).” In other words we have the Kid, the suspect and Gauss the witness, to tell us what happened in the escape of the Kid. Today, we depend on evidence from the CSI or investigation and add that to the testimony to point to the truth. According to history Garrett never spoke the Kid after he killed his two deputies. So Garrett had a witness to base his investigation on. Yet, he tells a different story then Gauss. Why? Either Garrett didn’t believe Gauss, or the Sheriff found evidence to prove Gauss’ testimony a lie, or as Fred Nolan said in the introduction of Garrett’s book; “Pat Garrett was pursuing his own agenda and at the same time busily covering up not a few of his own shortcomings.” Gauss says Bell was at the top of the stairs when shot - Garrett says Bell was “some twelve steps beneath...” At first blush this does not appear to be anything, but as you study it, we find it to be a major point. Truth travels but one path. Reason dictates only one story can be true, Gauss or Garrett but not both. One man lied and knew he lied. A century later, science and modern investigative methods provided evidence as to which man lied and which spoke the truth. Truth is honest, constant, reasonable and reliable. Facts and evidence of those facts point to truth and truth will always endure the harshness of doubt and ridicule. The passage of time does not change truth and it doesn’t matter what we want truth to be, our perception is of no concern, truth doesn’t change. Truth is not legend. “Legend” is defined as; An unverified story handed down from earlier times, especially one popularly believed to be historical. A body or collection of such stories. A romanticized or popularized myth of modern times. We’ve accepted the “legend” of Billy the Kid, without question. When the legend has been questioned, more times then not, the discussion escalates to one shout short of a furniture-stacking, knuckle-busting, fist fight. Investigators’ Warning: We choose to seek the truth and follow the evidence, no matter where it leads. Even when the evidence is not popular or at odds with accepted legend. No one will be put on a pedestal, we discovered there are no white hats or black hats - just gray. When we began to follow the truth, like Sheriff Garrett, on our best day we couldn’t have imagined where it would lead. WhyWhy.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0

“I don’t blame you for writing of me as you have.  You had to believe other stories; but then I don’t know as any one would believe anything good of me anyway.”


William Bonney December, 1880

Join Now $25http://www.billythekidcase.com/members/signup.phphttp://livepage.apple.com/shapeimage_2_link_0
MEMBERS Log in Herehttp://www.billythekidcase.com/members/login.phphttp://www.billythekidcase.com/members/login.phphttp://www.billythekidcase.com/members/login.phpshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1