Billy the Kid's Grave - A History of the Wild West's Most Famous Death Marker

"Quien es?"

The answer to this incautious question - "Who is it?" - was a bullet to the heart.

That bullet -- fired by Lincoln County Sheriff Patrick F. Garrett from a .40-44 caliber single action Colt pistol -- ended the life of Billy the Kid, real name William Henry McCarty.

But death - ordinarily so final - only fueled the public's fascination with Billy the Kid.

• What events led to Billy's killing? Was it inevitable? Was a woman involved? If so, who was she?
• Why has Billy's gravestone become the most famous - and most visited - Western death marker? Is Billy really buried in his grave? Is the grave in the right location?
• Is it true that Pat Garrett's first wife is buried in the same cemetery? Is Billy's girlfriend buried there also?
• The Fort Sumner cemetery where Billy's grave is located was once plowed for cultivation. Why?
• What town, seeking a profitable tourist attraction, tried to move Billy's body, using a phony relative to justify the action?

These questions -- and many others - are answered in this book.

Over 60 photos, including many historical photos never previously published.

About the Author
Thomas, David G.: - "Author, historian, filmmaker, producer, actor, screenwriter and travel writer. Associate Producer of the 2019 documentary film "The Wonder of the Century," based on the author's book on Giovanni Maria de Agostini, an Eighteenth Century world traveler. Co-founder of the Pat Garrett Western Heritage Festival and the Friends of Pat Garrett. Winner of the 2015 Pasajero Del Camino Real Award for Vols. 1 and 2 of the Mesilla Valley History Series "in which the life and times of La Posta and Giovanni Maria de Agostini emerge in rich detail." Winner of the 2017 Pasajero Del Camino Real Award for "Screen With A Voice," "A significant, comprehensive account bringing 110 years of theater to life." 2019 Best Book Awards Finalist in the History: United States category for "Killing Pat Garrett, The Wild West's Most Famous Lawman - Murder Or Self-Defense.""