The Trial of Billy the Kid

by David G. Thomas

This book is about Billy the Kid's trial for murder, and the events leading to that trial. The result of Billy's trial sealed his fate. And yet Billy's trial is the least written about, and until this book, the least known event of Billy's adult life.

Prior biographies have provided extensive - and fascinating - details on Billy's life, but they supply only a few paragraphs on Billy's trial. Just the bare facts: time, place, names, result.

Billy’s trial the most important event in Billy’s life. You may respond that his death is more important – it is in anyone’s life! That is true, in an existential sense, but the events that lead to one’s death at a particular place and time, the cause of one’s death, override the importance of one’s actual death. Those events are determinative. Without those events, one does not die then and there. If Billy had escaped death on July 14, 1881, and went on to live out more of his life, that escape and not his trial would probably be the most important event of Billy’s life.

The information presented here has been unknown until now. This book makes it possible to answer these previously unanswerable questions:

Where was Billy captured?
Where was Billy tried?
What were the governing Territorial laws?
What were the charges against Billy?
Was there a trial transcript and what happened to it?
What kind of defense did Billy present?
Did Billy testify in his own defense?
Did Billy have witnesses standing for him?
Who testified against him for the prosecution?
What was the jury like?
What action by the trial judge virtually guaranteed his conviction?
What legal grounds did he have to appeal his verdict?
Was the trial fair?

Supplementing the text are 132 photos, including many photos never published before.

Genres: History

296 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2021

About the author

Author, historian, filmmaker, producer, actor, screenwriter, playwright, and travel writer. Associate Producer of the 2019 documentary film "The Wonder of the Century," based on the author's book on Giovanni Maria de Agostini, an Eighteenth Century world traveler. Co-founder of the Pat Garrett Western Heritage Festival and the Friends of Pat Garrett.

2019 Best Book Awards Finalist in the History: United States category for "Killing Pat Garrett, The Wild West's Most Famous Lawman - Murder Or Self-Defense." 2019 Royal Dragonfly Book Award Winner, Second Place, Historical Non-Fiction for "Killing Pat Garrett," 2019 Best Indie Book Notable 100 Award Winner for "Killing Pat Garrett."

Winner of the 2015 Pasajero Del Camino Real Award for Vols. 1 and 2 of the Mesilla Valley History Series "in which the life and times of La Posta and Giovanni Maria de Agostini emerge in rich detail." Winner of the 2017 Pasajero Del Camino Real Award for "Screen With A Voice," "A significant, comprehensive account bringing 110 years of theater to life."

Reviews

[BookTrib.com]

THE TRIAL OF BILLY THE KID is a formidable work, a brilliant piece of research molded into a story of one of the West’s most famous outlaws. Anyone from historians, students and readers wondering how such a comprehensive piece of history can be so precisely recounted will want to jump into this narrative.

Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/06/04/a-gem...

[Robyn Kiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most interesting books I’ve read on Billy The Kid. Extremely well researched. For the first time all the details of Billy’s arrest, trial, confinement and legal proceedings are available. The book also recaps the events that led to his arrest, then his remaining years and death. David G. Thomas did phenomenal work in writing and extensive research. I’m excited to read his earlier book, Billy The Kids Grave. If you’re interested in the true history of Billy The kid, this is a must read!

[Mark Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good compilation of records, some of which are debuted in this book. I like Thomas's insights on some of the simple facts. He is a dedicated researcher.

[George Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and well written. Highly recommended.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.