# What REALLY Happened to Billy the Kid? Pat Garrett’s Widow Reveals ALL!

The fate of Billy the Kid, the infamous Old West outlaw, has long been debated, with rumors suggesting Sheriff Pat Garrett faked his death in 1881. Claims have surfaced from Garrett’s widow, Apolinaria, and his daughter, Elizabeth, alleging a hoax. But what does the historical evidence reveal? Let’s dive into the stories, affidavits, and primary sources to uncover the truth.

In 2003, Homer Overton claimed that as a child in 1940, Apolinaria Garrett told him and a friend that her husband and Billy the Kid staged the death by killing a drunk as a stand-in. Overton’s 2003 affidavit, filed in court for a DNA exhumation petition in Silver City, aimed to compare Billy’s mother’s DNA with that of Brushy Bill Roberts, a Texas man who claimed until 1950 to be Billy.

However, Apolinaria never made such statements publicly, and Overton’s uncorroborated story, shared over 120 years after the event, contradicts multiple eyewitness accounts. No exhumation ever occurred, and no DNA evidence supports these claims.

Regarding Elizabeth Garrett, rumors persist that in a 1983 interview, she stated her father didn’t kill Billy. Cited in articles on historycollection.org and an old Angel Fire website, these claims reference an interview with a Paul Kain, yet no direct quote or verifiable source exists. Crucially, Elizabeth died in 1947, making a 1983 interview impossible. This rumor appears to be a baseless, circular tale with no evidence.

Another story involves Shotgun John Collins, an outlaw whose son later claimed Garrett killed the wrong man. Like Overton’s account, this is third-hand information from someone not present at Fort Sumner on July 14, 1881. Collins’ name is absent from contemporary records or eyewitness testimonies, rendering the claim unreliable.

Historical evidence overwhelmingly supports Garrett killing Billy. Deputy John W. Poe, initially skeptical, confirmed after seeing the body that it was indeed Billy, as detailed in his book *The Death of Billy the Kid*. Eyewitnesses like Frank Lobato, Vicente Otero, Jesus Silva, Delvina Maxwell, and Pete Maxwell corroborated the event. Silva, who buried Billy, explicitly stated, “I know that Pat Garrett killed the Kid on the night of July 14th, 1881.” A coroner’s inquest, attended by locals, ruled the homicide justifiable.

Many of Billy’s friends attended the wake, and none ever claimed a hoax, despite living long enough to speak out. Garrett received the bounty, and Billy was never seen again.

Brushy Bill Roberts’ claim to be Billy is debunked by census data, marriage certificates, and family records showing he was a toddler in 1881. No scars or autopsy reports support his story, and contemporaries who knew Billy, like Bill and Sam Jones, refused to vouch for him.

While Billy’s life holds mysteries—his birthplace, age, and family details—his death at Fort Sumner is one of the best-documented events of the Old West. Uncorroborated anecdotes and out-of-context quotes pale against the wealth of eyewitness testimony and official records confirming Garrett’s actions. Billy the Kid’s charmed life ended that night, not in a staged escape, but in a fatal encounter with history.