Unmasking Billy the Kid: The Untold Story of the New Mexico's Most Famous Outlaw

The life behind the legend.

Billy the Kid is a name that conjures up visions of a daring outlaw who escaped the long arm of the law multiple times, only to meet his end at the hands of Sheriff Pat Garrett.

The sensational death of William H. Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, seeped into the national consciousness and became a symbol of the Wild West. Dramatized in songs, plays, books, and movies, the gunfighter's name took on a life of its own, conflating facts with myths and legends about a man who was no longer around to tell his side of the story. Even his death is disputed, with some claiming it was staged by Garrett.

Over a hundred years later, the life and times of Billy the Kid still strikes a chord. In 2010, there was a petition to grant him a posthumous pardon, but the Governor of New Mexico ultimately declined.

Who was Billy the Kid, the man whose likeness was captured in only one photograph over the course of his life?

Author Ray John de Arag n delves into a world of conspiracies, murder and romance to uncover the truth about legendary gunslinger Billy the Kid.