Was Brushy Bill Roberts Really Billy the Kid? A Compelling Case for the Outlaw’s Survival

The legend of Billy the Kid, one of the Wild West’s most infamous outlaws, is steeped in mystery, romance, and controversy. History tells us that William H. Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett on July 14, 1881, in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, at the tender age of 21. But what if the story didn’t end there? What if Billy the Kid escaped death and lived out his days under an alias, emerging decades later as a man named Brushy Bill Roberts? In this blog post, we’ll explore the compelling evidence suggesting that Brushy Bill Roberts was, in fact, Billy the Kid, challenging the traditional narrative and shedding light on one of the Old West’s greatest mysteries.

The Brushy Bill Roberts Story

In 1948, a St. Louis probate investigator named William V. Morrison stumbled upon a remarkable claim while working on a case involving Joe Hines, a man who confessed to being Jesse Evans, a notorious outlaw and associate of Billy the Kid. Hines dropped a bombshell: Billy the Kid was not killed by Pat Garrett but was alive and living in Hico, Texas, under the name Ollie L. “Brushy Bill” Roberts. Intrigued, Morrison tracked down Roberts, an elderly man who, after some hesitation, admitted to being the legendary outlaw. Roberts claimed he had escaped Garrett’s bullet in 1881, assumed various aliases, and lived a quiet life in Texas. His goal was to secure the pardon promised to him by New Mexico Governor Lew Wallace for his role in the Lincoln County War—a pardon he never received.

Brushy Bill’s claim sparked intense debate, with skeptics dismissing him as a fraud and supporters arguing that his story held water. While Roberts died of a heart attack in 1950, shortly after a failed attempt to secure a pardon from New Mexico Governor Thomas J. Mabry, his story has endured, fueled by evidence that suggests he might indeed have been Billy the Kid. Let’s dive into the key points that support this theory.

Evidence Supporting Brushy Bill as Billy the Kid

1. Detailed Knowledge of Billy the Kid’s Life

Brushy Bill’s recounting of events from Billy the Kid’s life was astonishingly detailed, including obscure facts that only someone intimately familiar with the outlaw’s exploits could know. During his interviews with Morrison, Roberts provided intricate details about the Lincoln County War, including specific incidents like the murder of John Tunstall and the escape from deputy Bob Olinger. He even recalled minor details, such as the wording of statements Billy made in the Frank Warner Angel Report and the fact that Doc Scurlock, a known associate, started a ranch in Texas after prison. Many of these details were verified years later, long after Roberts’ death, through historical research—details that were not widely known in 1949 when Morrison met him.

This level of knowledge suggests that, at the very least, Roberts had an extraordinary grasp of Billy the Kid’s life. If he wasn’t the Kid himself, he would have needed access to primary sources or firsthand accounts that were not publicly available at the time—a highly unlikely scenario for an elderly man living in rural Texas.

2. Affidavits from Billy’s Contemporaries

One of the strongest pieces of evidence in Brushy Bill’s favor is the testimony of five individuals who knew Billy the Kid during his lifetime. These individuals—Jim McDaniels, Severo Gallegos, Martile Able, Jose Montoya, and Joe Hines (aka Jesse Evans)—signed sworn affidavits attesting that Brushy Bill Roberts was the man they knew as Billy the Kid. These were not casual acquaintances; McDaniels and Hines were fellow outlaws, and Gallegos and Montoya were close associates from the Lincoln County War era. Their willingness to legally affirm Roberts’ identity carries significant weight, as such affidavits were serious commitments in an era when a person’s word was their bond.

While skeptics argue that these individuals could have been mistaken or motivated by fame, the fact that multiple people who knew Billy personally vouched for Roberts is hard to dismiss. Notably, these affidavits were signed decades after Billy’s supposed death, when the legend of the Kid had already taken root, yet these witnesses stood by their claims.

3. Physical Similarities and Scars

Brushy Bill’s physical characteristics provide another compelling piece of evidence. When Morrison examined Roberts’ body, he noted 26 bullet and knife scars, several of which matched known wounds Billy the Kid was believed to have sustained during his tumultuous life. Additionally, Roberts demonstrated a unique ability to make his hands smaller than his wrists—a double-jointed trick that Billy was reportedly known for, allowing him to slip out of handcuffs.

Photographic comparisons also lend credence to the theory. A University of Texas photo-comparison study, cited by some sources, concluded that images of Brushy Bill and Billy the Kid showed an “amazing” similarity, describing them as a “very close match.” While skeptics point out differences in facial features, such as chin shape or eye slant, supporters argue that aging, long-exposure photography techniques, and the poor quality of Billy’s known photos could account for discrepancies. A recent test with facial recognition software found a 93% match between Brushy Bill and Billy the Kid.

4. Inconsistencies in the Official Narrative

The traditional account of Billy the Kid’s death is riddled with inconsistencies that fuel speculation about his survival. On the night of July 14, 1881, Pat Garrett claimed to have shot Billy in a darkened room at Pete Maxwell’s house in Fort Sumner. However, several factors cast doubt on this story:

• Garrett’s Deputy’s Testimony: John Poe, Garrett’s deputy, reportedly told Garrett after the shooting, “You’ve killed the wrong man,” noting that the body had a full beard, while Billy was known to have only light facial hair.
• Lack of Public Display: Unlike other notorious outlaws, whose bodies were often displayed to confirm their deaths, Garrett buried the body quickly, denying the public a chance to verify the identity.
• No Reward Paid: Garrett was denied the $500 bounty for Billy’s death for months, and it required a special act of the legislature to secure the payment, suggesting skepticism about his claim.
• Coroner’s Inquest: While a coroner’s inquest ruled the body as Billy’s, the rushed burial and lack of photographs raise questions about the process’s thoroughness.

Brushy Bill claimed that Garrett shot another man, possibly Billy Barlow, a half-Mexican individual, and passed him off as the Kid to claim the reward. This theory aligns with local lore that Garrett killed the wrong man and allowed Billy to slip away, possibly in exchange for splitting reward money or as part of a deal to let Billy start anew.

5. Literacy and Language Skills

One common argument against Brushy Bill is that he was illiterate, while Billy the Kid was known to read and write English and speak fluent Spanish. However, this claim is disputed. Morrison found diaries and letters written by Roberts, and several of Roberts’ friends, including Jim Tully, signed affidavits confirming his literacy. Roberts also demonstrated moderate proficiency in Spanish, consistent with Billy’s fluency. The notion of Brushy’s illiteracy appears to stem from a misinterpretation by historian C.L. Sonnichsen, who later clarified that he meant Roberts wasn’t a scholar, not that he was illiterate.

6. The Pardon Motive

Brushy Bill’s pursuit of a pardon provides a logical motive for his claim. He told Morrison he wanted to “get straightened out before I die,” seeking the pardon promised by Governor Lew Wallace for testifying against other outlaws during the Lincoln County War. This was a risky move, as Billy the Kid was still wanted for murder and could have faced arrest or execution if his identity was confirmed. The fact that Roberts was willing to take this risk suggests he genuinely believed in his claim—or was, at the very least, desperate to clear his name.

7. Cultural Embrace in Hico, Texas

The town of Hico, Texas, has fully embraced Brushy Bill as Billy the Kid, erecting a statue, a museum, and an arch over his grave. While local pride doesn’t prove Roberts’ identity, it reflects a community belief in his story, bolstered by oral histories and the accounts of those who knew him. Hico’s Billy the Kid Museum cites evidence like Poe’s statement and the physical scars as reasons to believe Roberts was the Kid. The town’s commitment to preserving his legacy suggests that, at a grassroots level, many found his story credible.

Counterarguments and Rebuttals

Skeptics raise several points to dispute Brushy Bill’s claim, but each has a plausible counterargument:

• Birth Date Discrepancy: A Roberts family Bible lists Brushy Bill’s birth as August 26, 1879, making him only two years old in 1881, when Billy died. However, supporters argue that Roberts assumed the identity of his cousin, Oliver P. Roberts, around 1910, adopting his birth date to distance himself from his outlaw past. Brushy claimed he discovered Oliver’s body and took his identity after Oliver’s mother mistook him for her son.
• Facial Differences: Some argue that photos of Brushy Bill and Billy the Kid show different facial features. Yet, aging, poor photo quality, and long-exposure techniques could explain these differences, and the University of Texas study supports their similarity.
• Other Claims: Brushy Bill also claimed to have ridden with Jesse James and identified J. Frank Dalton as James, raising questions about his credibility. However, Billy the Kid was known to associate with various outlaws, and these claims could reflect his adventurous life rather than fabrication.
• No DNA Evidence: Efforts to exhume bodies for DNA testing have failed due to the uncertain location of Billy’s grave and opposition from local officials. While this leaves the question unresolved, it doesn’t disprove Brushy’s claim, as the absence of DNA evidence cuts both ways.

Why Brushy Bill Was Likely Billy the Kid

The case for Brushy Bill Roberts being Billy the Kid rests on a combination of firsthand testimony, physical evidence, and inconsistencies in the official narrative. His detailed knowledge of Billy’s life, corroborated by affidavits from those who knew the Kid, suggests he was either the real deal or an extraordinarily well-informed impostor. The physical scars, photographic similarities, and his ability to perform Billy’s handcuff trick add weight to his claim. Meanwhile, the rushed burial, lack of public display, and deputy Poe’s doubts about Garrett’s kill raise legitimate questions about what really happened on July 14, 1881.

If Brushy Bill was a fraud, he would have needed to deceive multiple people who knew Billy personally, memorize obscure details about the Kid’s life, and fabricate physical evidence—all while risking arrest for claiming to be a wanted outlaw. This seems unlikely for a man described as a quiet, elderly resident of Hico, with no apparent motive beyond securing a pardon. The simpler explanation is that Brushy Bill was telling the truth: he was Billy the Kid, a man who slipped through the cracks of history, lived a long life, and sought redemption in his final years.

The Legacy of Brushy Bill

The Brushy Bill Roberts story has captured imaginations for decades, inspiring books, documentaries, and even the opening scene of Young Guns II. Recent posts on X show continued fascination, with some claiming modern technology like facial recognition supports the theory. While definitive proof remains elusive without DNA evidence, the evidence for Brushy Bill is substantial enough to warrant serious consideration.

In Hico, Texas, Brushy Bill is celebrated as a local hero, a symbol of the Wild West’s enduring allure. His grave’s plaque reads, “We believe his story and pray to God for the forgiveness he solemnly asked for.” Whether he was Billy the Kid or simply a man with a remarkable tale, Brushy Bill’s story challenges us to question the tidy narratives of history and consider the possibility that one of the West’s greatest outlaws beat the odds and lived to tell his tale.

What do you think? Was Brushy Bill Roberts Billy the Kid, or was he just another Old West storyteller? I personally believe he was.