London, Jan 1 (ANI): Bill Richardson, the outgoing Governor of New Mexico, has denied a pardon to Henry McCarty, AKA William Bonney, better known as "Billy the Kid", saying there was not enough proof to forgive the infamous outlaw.
The Telegraph quoted advocates for the pardon, as saying that the gunman, who is reputed to have shot dead 21 people, one for each year of his life, had earlier reached a pardon deal with the then-Governor Lew Wallace in exchange for testimony regarding another shooting.
However, Wallace allegedly failed to pardon the outlaw, who was then killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett on July 14, 1881.
Bill Richardson said he has been investigating Billy the Kid since he first took office, and on his last day as governor, Richardson declined to pardon the gunslinger.
"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 added.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Garrett's grandchildren opposed the pardon, saying it would amount to painting the sheriff as a cold-blooded killer, "accusing our grandfather, in national and international media, of hideous crimes."
Susana Martinez, who takes over as governor of New Mexico on Saturday, said she viewed the proposed pardon a waste of time. (ANI)
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