Whatever Happened to Billy the Kid?

This is a short (about 120 pp) book of revisionist history, privately published by an old lady in New Mexico. Her thesis is that the outlaw Billy the Kidd did not die at the hand of Pat Garrett, but instead skipped town and started a new life as a farm worker in Buckeye, Arizona, calling himself John Miller. Airy's thesis is intriguing, but her evidence is slim and what there is is circumstantial at best. It's hard to get this out of your mind as you're reading it.

This book convinced me that Billy the Kid did not die that fateful night in July 1881 - but lived to be an old man, dieing in Arizona in 1937. Yes, he was shot by Pat Garrett, but when those preparing his body for burial noticed he was still breathing, they secreted off his body off and buried someone else in his place. Despite all the compelling interviews by those who knew John Miller, what did it for me was comparing the photo of Billy as a teenager with that of John Miller. The resemblance is uncanny. John Miller's body was exhumed in 2005. If his DNA is ever compared to Catherine Antrim's (mother), history may have to be rewritten. Don't hold your breath. Those who make their livings off the legend of Billy the Kid are quite possessive of their "property".

This is a great book for history buffs. If you've seen the movie, "Young Guns II," you'll remember Bushy Bill Roberts who claimed he was really Billy the Kid. History has made Billy the Kid into a legend, creating much mystery about the famous outlaw. Most people believe that he was shot by Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner, New Mexico in 1881. After reading this book by Helen Airy, it's hard to believe that Billy the Kid was shot at his early age of 21. Airy will convince you that he lived to be an old man going by the name of John Miller, his not so famous alias. Read about interesting "facts" on the Kid that may lead you to believe that history has it all wrong.