No Pardon for Billy the Kid

Old West legend Billy the Kid remains lawless: After anticipation that New Mexico’s lame-duck governor would pardon the famous outlaw, Bill Richardson announced on Good Morning America on Friday morning that he had declined the opportunity. The case hinged on an unverified rumor that New Mexico’s territorial governor had once promised the frontier figure a pardon in the late 19th century in exchange for testimonies about his killings. Richardson said the case was too ambiguous, citing “the historical ambiguity as to why Gov. Wallace reneged on his promise.” Billy the Kid is said to have killed up to 21 people; the pardon would have covered the 1878 murder of a sheriff.