Debunking Brushy: Were People Allowed to View Billy's Dead Body?

By Josh Slatten

One aspect that has always perplexed me is how many individuals question the authenticity of Billy the Kid's death despite the extensive list of witnesses. While these skeptics readily accept hearsay and speculative scenarios, I have encountered a myriad of unfounded claims over the years. From assertions that Edgar Allan Poe confessed on his deathbed that Billy wasn't the one shot to allegations that Pat Garrett's daughter denied her father's involvement in Billy's demise. I have even come across accounts suggesting that witnesses saw slabs of meat inside Billy's coffin. Yet, I have yet to be presented with a credible source for any of these claims. Instead, I am confronted with rumors and tales that are blindly passed down without historical substantiation. Why are these stories given such high regard by some while conveniently disregarding the testimonies of over 35 individuals who witnessed the Kid's lifeless body?

Let's consider some of these witnesses. Mike Cosgrove, the superintendent of the US Mail based in Las Vegas, was present in Fort Sumner on the morning of the 15th. In an interview with a Las Vegas reporter on the 18th, he unequivocally affirmed that Billy was dead and buried. Similarly, Frank Lloyd, a 31-year-old miner from Santa Fe, who happened to be in Fort Sumner that day, shared his account with John Meadows. Furthermore, Francisco Meina, a resident of Anton Chico, was also in town at the time and witnessed the Kid's body and subsequent burial the following day. George Coe, a close friend of Billy's, received the details of Meina's story. Additionally, Pvt. George Miller of Ft Stanton provides another compelling testimony. He had been en route to Santa Fe but decided to spend the night in Ft Sumner on the evening Billy was killed. Awakened by the sound of gunshots, he hurried to Maxwell's room to investigate the commotion. Both Miller and Maxwell witnessed Billy's lifeless body, assisted in digging the grave, and attended the funeral.

It is worth noting that all the witnesses mentioned above had no affiliation with either Pat Garrett or Billy. Disbelievers often argue that witnesses provided false testimony out of loyalty to Billy, but this reasoning does not apply to the four witnesses listed.

Another point to consider is the fact that Garrett, Poe, and McKinney sought refuge in Maxwell's bedroom out of fear that the residents of Fort Sumner would seek retribution for their friend's killing. If the Kid were indeed alive, why would the townspeople have reacted with such outrage? Disbelievers may claim that Garrett passed off another body as Billy's, and only he, Maxwell, and his deputies were aware of the deception. But this raises a crucial question: Did they all genuinely believe that Billy was dead while lying to protect Garrett or Billy? Disbelievers cannot have it both ways; they must choose a side.

Another common misconception I frequently encounter is the claim that Garrett guarded the body and prevented anyone from viewing it. I challenge anyone making such a statement to provide a credible source. On the contrary, an eyewitness named Paco Anaya stated that Maxwell's room was quite spacious and filled with people eager to see Billy's lifeless body. Paco Anaya's account qualifies as a firsthand testimony. Where are the witnesses from the disbelievers' camp? Can they provide anything beyond hearsay? I will patiently await their response.

The fact that so many individuals have chosen to turn a blind eye to factual evidence and rely on unsound judgment due to the story of a seemingly delusional old man continues to astonish me. There are far more inconsistencies in that old man's narrative than in Pat Garrett's, but that is a discussion for another time.