What Happened To The Bodies Of These Wild West Legends?
The Wild West was a time of lawlessness, gunfights, and legendary outlaws. The likes of Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Butch Cassidy are still household names today. But what happened to these infamous figures after they died?
Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid, born Henry McCarty, was a notorious outlaw who claimed to have killed 21 men. He was finally caught and sentenced to death by hanging in 1881. However, his body was not properly identified, and there have been many rumors and theories about what happened to it. Some believe that Billy the Kid actually escaped his execution and lived out the rest of his life under a new identity. Others claim that his body was stolen from the grave and replaced with someone else’s. The truth may never be known.
Jesse James
Jesse James was a famous bank and train robber who met his end when he was shot in the back of the head by a member of his own gang in 1882. He was buried in Missouri, but his body was later exhumed and moved to a new grave in the same cemetery. In the 1990s, his descendants had his body exhumed again in order to perform DNA testing and confirm his identity. The tests were inconclusive, but Jesse James’ legacy lives on.
Butch Cassidy
Butch Cassidy, along with his partner the Sundance Kid, was one of the most legendary outlaws of the Wild West. He was reportedly killed in a shootout in Bolivia in 1908, but some believe that he actually faked his death and returned to the United States under a new name. Others claim that he was killed in a different location and his body was never properly identified. Whatever the truth, Butch Cassidy remains a fascinating figure in American history.
Conclusion
The bodies of these Wild West legends may have been laid to rest, but their stories continue to captivate and intrigue us. Whether they escaped death and lived out their lives in secret, or were buried in unmarked graves, their legacies live on. The Wild West may be long gone, but the tales of Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Butch Cassidy will never be forgotten.
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