Billy The Kid's Tombstone Vandalized

There are probably a lot of people who don't really know or understand who Billy the Kid was, but his name is almost synonymous with the the idea of the old west. Regardless of how others viewed him (some say he was a bloodthirsty outlaw, some say he was a hero and a legend, who helped fight against corruption of the the business me of those days, which is in itself is iconic and deserves a whole thread to itself). Apparently though, someone has vandalized his tombstone (some say he is not buried there at all, and Pat Garrett never shot him) but regardless, I suppose it comes down to having respect for the dead, because other graves were vandalized as well.

Infamous outlaw Billy the Kid has been dead for nearly 131 years, but someone apparently still holds a grudge against the buck-toothed gunslinger. Don Sweet, owner of the Billy the Kid Museum in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, said the grave of Billy the Kid was found vandalized on June 16. Someone had somehow managed to topple over his 2,000 pound tombstone that sits in the Old Fort Sumner Cemetery. "They turned the headstone over and it broke some of the concrete," Sweet told The Huffington Post. He added, "The cemetery has never been bothered before."

I have never understood the "thrill" or fun of vandalizing or desecrating a cemetery. In my opinion, it was probably kids that did this, and hopefully will be caught. Incidentally, there were 3 rifles stolen from the museum as well, which were probably worth a lot of money, so that's understandable that someone would steal them, but in my opinion, desecrating a grave is for worse, regardless of who the person was I suppose. Anyway, just thought I would share, and wondered what other's thought about this.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

Born William Henry McCarty in 1859, Billy the Kid was a Wild West gunslinger who, according to legend, killed 21 men. McCarty, who later referred to himself as William H. Bonney, was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett on July 14, 1881. According to Sweet, Billy the Kids original marker was shot up or stolen long ago and the tombstone he has now has been in the Old Fort Sumner Cemetery for more than 80 years.

ETA - I remember seeing this museum and cemetery as a kid, and I do believe that there are bars around the grave to "keep him in" lol. One would wonder though, how they managed to knock over a 2000 pound tombstone like that...

reply to post by Veritas1


"somehow managed to topple over his 2,000 pound tombstone"

he's back.

yippy kie ya
luved a man for what he did,
shot one or two as well.

I'll make ya famous.

Wow, me and my husband were there a few years ago. there must've been thousands of rifles there, and only three were stolen? We wonder which rifles were stolen? Oh and my husband just said, " That museum is probably the only money making business in town. Wonder if someone hates him?"