Today is Thursday, April 9th, 2020.

On this day in 1881, legendary outlaw William H. Bonnie, aka Billy the Kid, was found guilty of murder and condemned to the gallows.

But Billy's death sentence would prove to be far from the last chapter in his story. Welcome to today in True Crime, a parcast original.

Due to the graphic nature of today's crimes, listener discretion is advised.

Extreme caution is advised for listeners under 13.

Today we're covering the sentencing of Billy the Kid in Messia, New Mexico.

But before we get to his conviction, let's go back to the night before.

Instead, he'd spent the hours in the oppressive desert heat, entertaining

frightening thoughts that kept his eyes open and his mind racing till morning.

Now he sat on the floor of his cell,

watching dust swirl in the shafts of light

coming from the barred window.

Outside he could hear the bustle of people on the town's main street. He focused on these things, desperate to keep his mind off of what had him up all night, his trial.

Billy had been inside of a cell a time or two,

but while then his crimes had been horse rustling or robbery,

this was different. This time he was in for murder. He'd killed a sheriff, Sheriff

William Brady of Lincoln County, a corrupt lawman known for his brutality.

Brady shot down Billy's friend and employer, and because Billy was a loyal man,

he did the same to Sheriff Brady.

Shot him dead in the street, just like the dog he was.

But it turns out the law doesn't like it when you kill its best men. So Billy found himself back in jail.

Billy fidgeted with the iron cuffs on his ankles. He knew he had nothing to worry about. He was in the right. He swore on his

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