Today is Wednesday, July 14th, 2021.

On this day in 1881, infamous outlaw Billy the Kids' crime spree ended when he was shot and killed.

Welcome to Today in True Crime, a Spotify original from Parcast. Due to the graphic nature of these crimes, listener discretion is advised.

We advise extreme caution for children under 13.

I'm Vanessa Richardson, and today I'm joined by our guest host, Carter Roy, from the new special

collection, Devious Dads. This 10-episode campaign revisits 10 of the worst dads in true

crime history. Carter will discuss the aftermath of today's story, while I'll cover the narrative.

Thanks, Vanessa. I'm thrilled to dive into one of the Wild West's most legendary tales.

Absolutely.

Now let's go back to July 14, 1881 in Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

Sheriff Garrett didn't think he'd really find Billy the Kid that night. Despite his young

age, the kid had already killed at least nine men and slipped away every time law enforcement

got close. Garrett knew the outlaw was dangerous. He'd spent months investigating before he found

a solid lead.

Rumor had it the kid was nearby, spending some time with a friend, Pete Maxwell.

So Garrett grabbed a couple of deputies and set out to question Maxwell.

They arrived on the property late at night.

One of the deputies spotted a friend camping out near Maxwell's ranch. The trio hopped off their horses to ask some questions. They decided

to approach the ranch house on foot, perhaps hoping to catch their man unaware. But they

were the ones surprised as they walked through the orchard.

When they got close to the residence, they overheard a voice talking in Spanish.

Garrett grabbed the deputies and quickly hid.

...