HICO, Texas — On today’s edition of Weird Wild West , an outlaw legend take a sharp turn: what if the notorious Billy the Kid didn’t die in New Mexico, but lived out his final days in a quiet Central Texas town?

In the canon of Old West lore, Billy the Kid rode with the renegade Regulators, famed for his sharpshooting, daring escapes and alleged killings. History books record that the outlaw was shot dead in 1881 by lawman Pat Garrett, reportedly before he reached 21. Yet for more than seven decades, a persistent legend from Hico, Texas in Hamilton County has challenged that ending.

According to Hico’s local historians, Billy the Kid actually survived his fateful shootout, living under the alias Brushy Bill Roberts. In 1949, Roberts publicly declared, “I am Billy the Kid.” Supporters c

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