New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson announced Friday he would not issue a posthumous pardon for Billy the Kid, the most infamous of the Wild West outlaws shot dead by a lawman 129 years ago. Richardson has said he has been investigating Billy the Kid since he first took office, especially reports that territorial governor Lew Wallace 130 years ago had promised to pardon him.
He argued that historical debate about Billy the Kid's fate and pardon made the decision work pondering. "This is since 1881, an issue in our state, and around American history," Richardson said. "Should Billy get a pardon? This is why it's important. It's living history. We should not neglect the historical record. And the history of the American West."
And on his last day as governor, Richardson opted not to pardon the legendary outlaw. "I have decided not to pardon Billy the Kid because of a lack of conclusiveness, and also the historical ambiguity as to why governor Wallace reneged on his pardon," Richardson announced on ABC television.
Richardson had earlier said requests for such posthumous pardons "must be fully vetted and investigated by the appropriate agencies to ensure that I do the right thing for those who request clemency as well as the citizens of New Mexico." The legend of Billy the Kid - real name William H. Bonney, although also known as Henry McCarty and Henry Antrim - has inspired dozens of books and films, several impostors, and attempts to exhume his grave to test for DNA.
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