FAQ

Leaving aside the terrible framing device, the story covers the time from after the Lincoln County War to Billy's death.

A lot of the killings that took place during the Battle Of Lincoln were simply attributed to Billy, regardless of the fact that so many people shot at one another that it would be impossible with the investigative tools available at the time to determine who shot whom.

At most, ten people can be determined at the standards of evidence we have today to have been killed by Billy The Kid, and at least a few of these were in self-defense.

Difficult to say, but nobody who lived long enough to have their observations of Billy recorded attested to this constant laughter. In fact, much of the first-hand observations documented today suggest he was a very calm, thoughtful person. Except that he never forgot an unkindness to himself or anyone he cared about.

There was a man named Jim Greathouse, with whom Billy made a friendship in 1880.

Billy and his gang were cornered inside Greathouse's ranch. Billy told the posse outside that Greathouse was being held hostage. Carlyle, a member of the posse, offered to exchange places with Greathouse. An offer that was accepted.

Carlyle later tried to escape, and was killed. The subsequent shootout ended in a standoff. The posse withdrew and Billy rode away with his gang.

Jane Greathouse was simply an attempt to inject some sex appeal for the teenage boys the film was marketed to. And not a good or very successful one at that.

Cross-promotion with a has-been, basically. At the time of the film's release, the song was number one (if one does not know that the pop charts of the 1980s and 1990s were not rigged, they are hopelessly naïve) for several weeks. It made for a good trailer, in any case.

To supply the teenage boys who were the biggest market of the era with fantasy material. Nothing more. As stated elsewhere, Jane Greathouse is a gender-swap of a man that Billy was friends with and who helped Billy escape a posse.

Both were wanted for murder. Their participation in the climactic battle of Young Guns resulted in numerous deaths. Present-day law holds that when one person in a felony conspiracy kills a person during the commission of said felony, the other people in the conspiracy are also responsible. Whilst this may not have applied at the time of the Lincoln County War, prosecutors and sheriffs were not exactly considered in how they decided whom to charge with what, either.