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- [00:07]
Vanessa Richardson
This is Crime House. During the week of April 7, 2009, 19 year old Abdouwali Muse made waves when he and three fellow bandits hijacked a container ship off the coast of Somalia. They kidnapped its captain, Richard Phillips, setting off a legendary showdown. 128 years earlier, another young criminal dominated headlines. After three years on the lam, a 21 year old cattle rustler, horse thief and murderer named Henry McCarty, better known as Billy the Kid, was sentenced to death, making this week's theme Outlaws. Welcome to Crime House the Show. I'm Vanessa Richardson. Every Monday we'll be revisiting notorious crimes from this week in history. From serial killers to mysterious disappearances or murders, every episode will explore stories that share a common theme. Each week we'll cover two stories, one further in the past and one more rooted in the present. Here at Crime House. We know none of this would be possible without you, our community. Please support us by rating, reviewing and following Crime House the Show wherever you get your podcasts and for ad free and early access to the show plus exciting Crime House bonus content, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Before we get into the story, you should know it contains descriptions of murder. Listener discretion is advised. This week's theme is Outlaws. We'll start Today's episode in 2009, when four heavily armed teenagers captured a container ship off the Somali coast. It was the first successful act of piracy against an American ship in nearly 200 years. Then we'll go back in time to 1881, when Billy the Kid was sentenced to death after evading authorities for three years, only to make a dramatic escape weeks later. Despite taking place over a century apart, both stories feature ambitious, cutthroat young men who defied authority at every turn, taking what they wanted and doing as they pleased. But being an outlaw has consequences. And as the subjects of today's cases found out, you can't run forever. I've got some exciting news. I'm co hosting a new show from Crime House called Killer Minds. Featuring forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels. Each episode features a deep dive into the psychology of a notorious murder murderer. From serial killers to cult leaders, deadly exes and spree killers, Killer Minds is a Crime House Studios original. New episodes drop every Monday and Thursday. Follow wherever you get your podcasts.
- [03:33]
Ryan Reynolds
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- [03:55]
Vanessa Richardson
Of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to 15 per month required Intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available taxes and fees extra. See full terms@mintmobile.com on the morning of April 8, 2009, a 19 year old Somalian man named Abdouwali Muse crouched at the front of a small motorbo. He clutched an AK47 in his hands. Muse and his three companions were 240 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, bouncing across the waves in pursuit of their destiny, a 500 foot long 14,000 ton American owned container ship called the Maersk Alabama. The vessel was less than a mile away and Muse and his crew were closing the gap fast. The crew of the Alabama knew they were being followed. Intruder alarms blared from the deck and sailors launched flares and sprayed water from high pressure hoses to try and deter their pursuers. But Muse was dead set on capturing the Maersk Alabama. He lifted his rifle, aimed it at the massive ship and opened fire. At that moment, he didn't care about the consequences. The only thing on his mind was earning enough money from this latest act of piracy to change his and his family's life for good. Abdouli Muse was born in Galkayo, Somalia in 1990, during a very difficult period for the Somali people. In 1991, Somalia's government collapsed and warlords battled for control of the nation. Despite the unstable environment, Muse was a well behaved child. According to his mother, the young boy was more interested in reading than making mischief with other boys his age. As he got older, he worked as a fisherman and a taxi driver. But eventually Muse's circumstances became more desperate and he turned to a more lucrative piracy. By the late 2000s, Somalia was one of the poor, poorest countries in the world with very few economic opportunities. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, many young men set their sights on the cargo ships on the horizon. Shipping conglomerates and foreign governments were known to pay multimillion dollar ransoms for the safe return of their captured crews, a life changing sum in a country where much of the population lives on less than $2 a day. Muse's mom maintains he was a good boy who was brainwashed into a life of crime by local gangs. It's not clear when he committed his first act of piracy, but we do know he captured multiple ships without being caught. And as he maneuvered alongside the Mayor Scalabama on April 8, 2009. Muse was confident his good luck would continue. Muse acted quickly as he hooked a tall ladder over the edge of the ship. In a matter of seconds, he scurried up and onto the wide, empty deck, his three fellow pirates close behind. Back in the water, their unattended skiff drifted away along the Indian Ocean. There was no turning back now. They'd capture the Alabama or they'd die trying. The bridge of the Maersk Alabama was locked at the stern, meaning the back of the ship rising three stories above the deck. Inside, alarms blared as the captain, Richard Phillips, ordered the rest of his 15 person crew to lock themselves away in the fortified engine room below decks. He'd already radioed the authorities to let them know his ship had been boarded. But in the middle of the open sea, help was hours away. They were on their own as they looked down at the four armed pirates advancing across the deck towards them. The Maersk Company didn't allow its sailors to carry firearms, so the crew had to improvise. Phillips fired a flare gun at the pirates, but they took cover among the shipping containers and shot back with their AK47s. Dodging the hail of gunfire, Phillips ran to lock the door to the bridge and came face to face with Muse, who was pointing his rifle at him through the window. Five minutes after climbing up the ladder from the skiff, Abdouli Muse had taken command of the Maersk Alabama. But as he would soon find out, he was not in control. There were two other crew members on the bridge with Captain Phillips. Colin Wright, the ship's third mate, and a Bangladeshi seaman named Abu Thair Mode, Zayeed, who everyone called atm. The pirates had the guns, but Phillips, Wright and ATM had deep knowledge of the ship's controls and layout, and they used that information to sabotage their captors at every turn. Shortly before the takeover, Phillips had transferred control of the ship from the bridge to the engine room, where the rest of the crew was hiding. When Muse demanded to know why the Alabama's engines had stopped, leaving the ship drifting in circles, Phillips played dumb. He said the ship's engines had broken during the chase. While the pirates were distracted, Phillips disabled the ship's radar and radio systems. And when Muse tried to use the ship's satellite phone to call for reinforcements, Phillips gave him incorrect instructions for how to place the call. Then, when the call didn't go through, he claimed the phone was broken. This was a big win for Phillips. If Muse had been able to summon another boat, the pirates could have taken the hostages to The Somalian mainland. There they would have been held captive for months with little hope of being rescued. Muse knew that and was growing increasingly agitated. Waving his gun around, he repeatedly ordered Phillips to get on the ship's PA system and call the rest of the crew to the bridge. Rounding up the crew was a top priority for Muse because each additional hostage meant a bigger ransom. Phillips did as he was told, but he'd personally led his men in an anti piracy training just days before, and they knew to ignore his messages and stay hidden. So Muse tried a different approach. He left the other three pirates to guard Wright and ATM and had Phillips walk him through the ship to search for the crew himself. A cargo ship like the Maersk Alabama is a lot like a skyscraper. Laid flat on its side, it has dozens of rooms laid out over thousands of square feet of space on multiple floors, connected by a maze of stairwells, passageways, and service corridors. Phillips knew where his men were, so he led Muse to all the places they weren't. He talked loudly to Muse the entire time so any other hidden crew members would know they were coming. Coming. After a fruitless search, Muse and Phillips returned to the bridge empty handed. By then, the other pirates had gotten the ship's radio working. When they turned it on, they were shocked to hear the voice of the ship's first mate, Shane Murphy, who was hidden away with the rest of the crew. Murphy was talking to an officer aboard the USS Virginia, a Navy guided missile cruiser. As the pirates listened, the sailor on the radio confirmed attack helicopters had launched and were en route to the Alabama. Muse and his companions started to panic. Now the clock was ticking. But Captain Phillips knew something they didn't. There was no USS Virginia. The so called Navy officer on the radio was just Shane Murphy disguising his voice and talking to himself. The whole thing was a bluff and the pirates had bought it, hook, line and sinker. With Navy attack helicopters supposedly bearing down on the Alabama, Muse got on the radio and tried to get an allied pirate ship to come pick up the hostages. But they wouldn't risk it. So Muse came up with a new load. As many crew members as he could find into the Alabama's lifeboat and take them to a fleet of nearby ships controlled by his fellow pirates. Muse set off to search for the crew again, this time taking ATM as his guide. In his rush to get going, he left his gun on the bridge while ATM led his unarmed captor on yet another wild goose chase through the lower decks. The other three pirates ordered Phillips to get the rescue boat ready. It was 18ft long, fully enclosed by a bright orange fiberglass roof and equipped with an outboard motor. At gunpoint, Phillips set to work topping up the fuel tank with enough gas to make it to the Somali coast. Meanwhile, below deck, ATM led Muse down a long dark hallway. Suddenly, Mike Perry, the chief engineer, appeared out of nowhere. Before Muse knew what was happening, Perry tackled him, knife in hand. During the skirmish, Perry's knife slashed Muse's palm, cutting a deep gash. Shocked and injured, Muse surrendered. Back up on deck, one of the walkie talkies the pirates had stolen from the Alabama's bridge crackled to life. You there pirates. It was Mike Perry calling from below decks. We have your buddy and we'll trade him for the captain. Abdouli Muse had come aboard the Maersk Alabama to take hostages. He never could have guessed he was going to become one himself. Hey everyone, it's Vanessa with an exciting update. I have another new show from Crime House called Killer Minds featuring featuring licensed forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels. We're doing deep dives into the psychology of notorious murderers. From infamous serial killers to ruthless cult leaders, deadly exes and terrifying spree killers. Along with immersive storytelling full of high stakes twists and turns, Dr. Engels will be providing expert analysis of the people involved, not just how they killed, but why. Killer Minds is a Crime House Studios original new episodes drop every Monday and Thursday. Follow wherever you get your podcasts. On April 8, 2009, Captain Richard Phillips stood in the blazing sun with three pirate captors on the deck of the Maersk Alabama. The rest of his crew was hidden away deep below deck where they'd captured the pirates leader, Abdouwali Muse. Now the pirates and the crew members were engaged in hostage negotiations. Over the walkie talkie. The crew proposed a prisoner swap. Phillips would get into the rescue boat with the pirates to help them launch the craft. Once they were in the water, the crew of the Maersk Alabama would release Muse in exchange for Phillips. The pirates didn't want to leave empty handed, but they still believed that a pack of Navy helicopters would arrive at any second. So they accepted the deal. Phillips led the three pirates through the complicated process of operating the rescue boat until it was hanging off the Alabama's deck. For a short time, Phillips and the pirates were just a bunch of sailors working together and even trading jokes as they tried to accomplish the same goal. But the laughter wouldn't last. Phillips and the pirates climbed into the rescue boat and Phillips lowered it into the water, looking up to the deck of the Maersk Alabama. Philip saw his crew emerge from hiding. They were escorting Muse, his injured hand wrapped in a white handkerchief. The crew lowered a ladder over the edge of the ship, and Muse climbed down to the rescue boat. Despite his injury, Muse was in high spirits, happy to be back with his crew. He took a seat at the rescue boat's control panel while Phillips made his way towards the ladder to complete the exchange. Suddenly, Muse gunned the rescue boat's engines, maneuvering away from the ladder out to sea. What about the deal? Phillips asked. Muse simply replied, no deal. Muse was a businessman. The assault on the Maersk Alabama had been costly. They'd lost their boat and he'd been injured. They couldn't leave with nothing, and even a single American hostage was a valuable commodity. Americans were rich. He was certain they would pay up to get Richard Phillips back. Night fell as Mewes steered the rescue boat back towards Somalia, some 300 miles away. It would be a long journey, especially in a small boat with no toilet or air conditioning. But Muse thought maybe they wouldn't have to make it all the way back to the mainland. He used the satellite phone he'd taken from the Alabama, which he now knew how to use, and called other pirate vessels to meet them. Out on the open water, three nearby ships received Muse's message. There were more than 50, 50 hostages imprisoned on these ships. German, Russian, and Indonesian crew members who'd been captured when their vessels were hijacked. The three pirate ships began motoring towards the rescue boat at full speed, hoping to add an American to their collection and get a cut of Musa's ransom. As the night wore on, the pirates took turns driving the rescue boat, guarding Phillips and sleeping. Despite the sweltering heat, Captain Phillips was eventually able to doze off. He woke up in the early hours of April 9 to light blazing through the rescue boat's windows. It was a U. S. Navy destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, steaming towards them at full speed. Earlier, Philip's crew had been lying when they told the pirates the navy would show up at any minute. But this was the real deal. The government had received the Alabama's distress call the day before, and now the cavalry was finally here. With the navy ship in the area, the incoming pirate ships aborted their mission. But Muse didn't lose hope. Now he had the chance to parlay his hostage into something valuable. Over the next few days, Muse talked on the radio with a hostage negotiator aboard the Bainbridge, demanding $2 million in exchange for Phillips. The navy told Muse to sit tight while they considered his offer. In the meantime, they sent supplies, including water and Pop Tarts. The pirates slept in shifts, so somebody was always keeping an eye on Phillips. Otherwise, there was nothing to do but wait. By Sunday, April 12, it was clear that Muse's negotiations with the Navy were getting nowhere. So he agreed to board the USS Bainbridge to continue the discussion in person. The Navy connected a tow line from the destroyer to the rescue boat, and a team of sailors collected Muse in a rubber raft. Muse was young, but his leadership was the only thing keeping the other three pirates in line. Once he was off the rescue boat, chaos erupted. The remaining pirates squabbled among themselves in Somali and berated Phillips in English. After a few hours of this, Phillips finally reached a breaking point. He walked to the rear hatch and told the pirates he was going to jump in the water to cool down. They didn't like that. Two of the pirates leapt up and grabbed Phillips, pulling him back from the hatch. Meanwhile, the third pirate picked up his AK47 and opened fire through the hatch toward the Bainbridge. It's not clear why the pirates started shooting, but the response was swift and decisive. For days, a team of Navy SEAL snipers had been laid out on the stern of the Bainbridge, tracking the pirates every move through their rifle scopes. When they saw the pirates grab Phillips and start shooting at the ship, they had clearance to shoot back. Three snipers fired at once, killing the pirates on the rescue boat while miraculously leaving Phillips unharmed. Within seconds, more SEALs boarded the rescue boat and collected an exhausted and blood splattered Richard Phillips. After five excruciating days, his ordeal was finally over. Phillips was brought aboard the Bainbridge for a medical evaluation, then taken to a cabin to recuperate. The Navy made sure to take good care of him after his hellish ordeal. When Phillips requested a beer, the captain of the Bainbridge sent him an entire cooler. Elsewhere aboard the Bainbridge, Muse was arrested as soon as the negotiators learned that Phillips had been freed. After a brief stay in the ship's brig, Muse was flown to New York City, where he made history as the first person to be charged with piracy in a US court in over 100 years. He was also charged with attacking two other international ships. Also in 2009, Muse pled guilty and in 2011 was sentenced to 33 years and nine months in federal prison. Today, Abdouli Muse is incarcerated at a medium security federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. When he's released in 2038, he will have spent more than half his life living high and dry in the American Midwest. Up next, the story of another infamous young outlaw whose crimes shocked the Nation in 1881 and whose story continues to resonate in pop culture. Abdoulaye Muse risked everything for a massive payday. And over a century earlier, another young man played fast and loose with the law. But instead of the high seas, this outlaw made his name in the wild West. On April 8, 1881, in Mesilla, New Mexico, curious onlookers packed into a dusty courtroom. They were there to get a good look at the fresh faced bandit who'd been terrorizing the region for the past three years, year old Billy the Kid. Despite his young age, Billy was a hardened outlaw. And after a tense showdown a few months earlier, he'd finally been apprehended. Billy the Kid had a long list of crimes, but today he was on trial for only one. The murder of Lincoln County Sheriff William Brady. The proceedings were just a formality. After only two days of testimony, Billy was found guilty and sentenced to die by hanging. His execution was scheduled for one month later on May 13 in Lincoln, New Mexico. But Billy didn't think he'd make it that long. He told a courtroom reporter, I expect to be lynched. In going to Lincoln, the authorities had the same concern. Billy the Kid was handcuffed and shackled for the 150 mile wagon ride to the jailhouse and accompanied by seven armed guards. With four murders to his name, the police weren't taking any chances. But although Billy had transformed from a scrawny teenager into a cold blooded killer, he wasn't always destined to be an outlaw. There's still a lot of debate over his origins, but most historians agree that Billy the Kid was born in New York City in 1859. He was born as Henry McCarty, but throughout his short life, he went by several names. But for the sake of our story, we'll call him by his most famous one, Billy the Kid, or Billy for short. His father's identity is shrouded in mystery, But Billy's mom, Catherine, was an Irish immigrant. She cared deeply for her son. And soon after Billy was born, Catherine fled the slums of New York and headed west in search of a better life. It's not clear where they landed, but in 1873, when Billy was 13, Catherine married a prospector named William Antrim. He lived in the mining town of Silver City in the New Mexico territory, so Catherine and Billy followed him there. Although there were 15 different saloons and casinos in Silver City, Billy wasn't tempted. In fact, he was a model citizen he was an avid reader, enthusiastic singer and dancer, and an attentive student who quickly became fluent in Spanish. He performed in local plays and was a regular fixture at town dances. But tragically for Billy, the fun quickly came to an end. Catherine died of tuberculosis in 1874, just a year after arriving in Silver City. After that, William Antrim was more interested in prospecting for gold than raising his stepson and kicked him out. At just 14, Billy was essentially an orphan, living on his own in a boarding house with no good role models. It was only a matter of time until he found a bad one. A few months after his mom died, Billy fell in with a local drunk who the locals called Sombrero Jack. When Billy was 15, Sombrero Jack broke into a house and stole a couple of pistols, then passed them off to Billy, his partner in crime, to sell. When the boy got caught with the stolen merchandise, Sombrero Jack skipped town and Billy went to jail. But he didn't plan to stay there for long. On his first night behind bars, the scrawny boy escaped by crawling up the jailhouse chimney. Then he fled Silver City, covered head to toe in soot. After Billy got cleaned up, he hopped a stagecoach to Clifton in the Arizona Territory where his stepfather was now working at a copper mine. But if he'd expected sympathy or help from William Antrim, he didn't get it. When the prospector heard about his stepson's brush with the law, he told him, if that's the kind of boy you are, get out. With that, Billy the kid was rejected a second time by the only family he had left. With no more options, he reinvented himself as an outlaw. Billy spent the next few years in the Arizona Territory, stealing horses, rustling cattle and getting good at card games. For the most part, Billy was able to avoid serious jail time for his crimes. But after a few brushes with the law, he got into some grown up trouble. In August 1877, 17 year old Billy was playing poker at a saloon outside Fort Grant, Arizona when he got into an argument with a hot headed local blacksmith named Francis Cahill. Soon, fists were flying and Cahill dragged Billy outside. A crowd gathered to watch as he pinned Billy's arms under his knees and pummeled him. Billy was able to wrestle one of his hands free and pull a heavy.45 caliber revolver from his pants. He pressed the barrel to Cahill's stomach and fired. Then Billy hopped on the nearest horse and rode out of town. Meanwhile, the crowd of witnesses rushed Cahill to the military hospital at Camp Grant, where he Died the next day at the age of 17. Billy the Kid was already wanted for murder. Which meant he couldn't stay in Arizona. Just two years after fleeing New Mexico covered in soot, Billy returned. But this time he was covered in blood. By 1877, Lincoln County, New Mexico was the largest county in the United States. With a whopping 20 million acres. It was the perfect place to raise cattle. But it was also one of the most dangerous places in America. Despite its low population, the New Mexico territory accounted for 15% of murders in the US and had a homicide rate 47 times the national average. The leading cause of death, gunshot wounds. With his track record, Billy thought he'd be in good company. And so, towards the end of 1877, Billy settled in Lincoln County. He found work on a cattle ranch owned by a 23 year old Englishman named John Tunstall. Billy liked Tunstall as soon as he met him, but he didn't want the rancher or anyone else in town to judge him. So he kept his past hidden. Even so, Billy was well liked by his fellow ranch hands and popular with the young women in Lincoln's large Mexican American community. He flirted in Spanish, was charming, funny and sang like a bird. He was the life of the party at every town dance where he'd waltz and polka the night away. And that could have been the rest of Billy's life, spending his days on the ranch and his nights on the dance floor. Instead, he was about to get swept up in one of the most violent wars the Wild west had ever seen. The only general store in Lincoln county was run by a crooked businessman named Jimmy Dolan. Since he was the only shop in town, he could and did charge customers wild amounts of money for basic necessities. That is, until John Tunstall, the rich Englishman Billy was working for, opened his own general store right down the street. But Jimmy Dolan wasn't interested in friendly competition. One of Dolan's closest allies was the county Sheriff, William Brady. And on February 18, 1878, Dolan asked the sheriff to ride out to Tunstall's ranch and arrest him on bogus charges. But that's not what happened. As soon as they arrived at the ranch, one of the sheriff's men shot Tunstall off his horse. Then again at point blank range. Billy and his fellow ranch hands couldn't do anything but look on in horror. At Tunstall's funeral a few days later, his former employees swore revenge. Standing over his boss's body, Billy said, I'll get some of them before I die. And with that, the Lincoln County War had begun. Tunstall's right hand man, a Scottish Canadian lawyer named Alexander McSween, took over the ranch after Tunstall's death. But he was interested in more than cattle. McSween organized and armed the remaining employees, including Billy. They called themselves the Regulators, and they had one goal. Destroy Jimmy Dolan and his gang of hired thugs. And for the next five months, that's exactly what they. In March 1878, Billy and a group of Regulators chased down and captured three of the men who'd shot Tunstall. By morning, all three were dead. Throughout the month, there were more casualties on both sides. But by March 31, the regulators set their sights on a new target. That morning, Sheriff Brady and a few of his deputies were walking down Main street in Lincoln. Suddenly, Billy and five other Regulators ran out from behind Tunstall's shuttered general store, rifles at the ready. Brady never had a chance. He was shot a dozen times and died on the spot. A gunfight followed, and one of Brady's deputies was also killed. During the skirmish, Billy took a bullet to the thigh. But he and the other Regulators still managed to get away, despite the satisfaction Billy must have gotten from killing Sheriff Brady. It wasn't the smartest move. After the ambush, a grand jury indicted Billy and a few of his allies for the murder of Sheriff Brady, and a warrant was issued for Billy's arrest. But the court ruling wouldn't stop the bloodshed, because the battle between Jimmy Dolan and the Regulators was far from over. As spring turned to summer in 1878, the Lincoln County War spiraled out of control. Riding high after killing Sheriff Brady, 18 year old Billy the Kid and his fellow Regulators continued their campaign of violence against shop owner Jimmy Dolan. No matter how much blood was spilled, the fighting dragged on. It became so constant and unpredictable that some residents fled Lincoln county entirely. Eventually, both sides grew desperate for some kind of end to the conflict. That opportunity came on July 14, 1878, when the Regulators leader, Alexander McSween, led 60 men into Lincoln for a massive nighttime raid. Dolan and 40 of his followers were barricaded in buildings up and down Main street, waiting for them. Once the shooting started, it didn't stop for the next five days. It was so bad that on July 19, a group of US army cavalry arrived in town to stop the bloodshed. The soldiers and the huge cannon they brought with them convinced most of the Regulators to run for the hills. As night fell, the only ones left were Billy, Alexander McSween and 11 others. They were all holed up in McSween's house, which was surrounded by federal troops and Jimmy Dolan's thugs. Dolan's men set the house on fire to try and scare out the regulators, but surrender wasn't an option. They knew Dolan and the others would gun them down the second they laid down their weapons. As darkness fell and flames consumed the house, Billy decided to create a diversion so McSween could escape. Billy and four other regulators burst out one side of the house and charged through a hail of bullets, running for John Tunstall's old old store. Although one of them was killed, Billy and three others made it to cover. But McSween and the others in the house had waited too long. By the time they tried to get out, the attackers were ready for them. The Lincoln County War ended then and there with Jimmy Dolan's men drinking and dancing over McSween's bullet riddler body. The bloody ending of the Lincoln County War made national headlines. Many of the stories centered on a lively, scrawny young man called Billy the Kid. Lots of these stories were false and portrayed Billy as either a noble hero or a cold blooded killer, depending on who wrote them. Despite the varying opinions, there was one thing everyone could agree on. The public was outraged over the violence in Lincoln County. In response, President Rutherford Hayes fired the governor of the New Mexico Territory and appointed Lew Wallace, a prominent Civil War general, to restore order. To ensure a lasting peace. Governor Wallace announced a general amnesty for everyone who'd taken part in the Lincoln county war. War except for those who'd already been indicted. That included Billy, who was accused of murdering both Sheriff Brady and another one of Dolan's henchmen. Billy knew it was just a matter of time until he got caught. And he wasn't going to wait around for that to happen. So shortly after escaping the fire at Alexander McSween's house, he and the few surviving regulators hatched a plan. They made their way to a nearby ranch and stole 15 horses and 150 head of cattle. After that, they left New Mexico entirely, heading to the Texas town of Tuscosa to sell their stolen herd. Tuscosa was a rough and rowdy place, friendly to horse thieves and gamblers. Billy and his gang called it home. Home for the next several months, playing cards and racing horses. While they plotted their next move, Billy's companions begged him to leave the country and make a fresh start in Mexico or South America. Anything but going back to the New Mexico territory. But Billy The Kid wasn't interested in leaving New Mexico behind forever because he had a girl back in Lincoln county and he was in love. Back when Billy was hanging with the regulators in 1878, he'd started dating Paulita Maxwell, the Mexican American daughter of a local rancher. After spending some time in Texas, he decided he couldn't be apart from her any longer. By late 1880, 20 year old Billy was back in New Mexico. This time in Fort Sumner with Paulita. By day, Billy stole cattle to make money. By night he and Paulita were fixtures at every town dance. But Fort Sumner was still a part of Lincoln county. And on November 2, 1880, the locals elected a new sheriff, Pat Garrett. And he didn't wait long to make his feelings about Billy known. He'd heard the young outlaw was back in town and Garrett wanted him dead or alive before he was even formally sworn in. The Sheriff elect rounded up a posse of 200 men and set off in search of Billy. Billy the Kid had no idea what was coming and that one of his own men was about to turn on him. Two days before Christmas 1880, one of the last members of Billy's gang sold him out to the authorities. Sheriff Garrett and an army of deputies descended on an abandoned cabin outside the town of Stinking Springs. After an all day standoff, they finally got Billy the Kid in handcuffs. Over the next few months, Billy was held at a jail in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He knew the writing was on the wall for him and wrote several letters to the territory's governor asking for clemency. His pleas fell on deaf ears and on April 8, 1881, Billy went on trial at the courthouse in Mesilla. 21 year old Billy the Kid was convicted of of murder on April 9. On April 13, he was formally sentenced to death and taken back to Lincoln with a seven man security detail led by Deputy James Bell and Marshall Bob Olinger. Over the next two weeks, Bell and Ollinger kept a watchful eye on Billy while the gallows were constructed. But although the Kid was locked up in the county court courthouse, no one knew the outlaw had one last trick up his sleeve. On the evening of April 28, the final chapter of Billy's life began. After dinner, Deputy Bell escorted Billy to the outhouse where someone, we don't know who, had hidden a pistol for him. Billy allowed Belle to lead him him back into the courthouse, then drew his concealed weapon and shot him. While Belle took his last breaths, Billy ran back into the courthouse, moving as quickly as his shackles would allow from the Second story window, the Kid spied Marshal Bob Olinger running up to the building. Billy fired down at him, killing Olinger instantly. Billy used used a pickaxe to free himself from his shackles, then stole a horse from one of the courthouse employees. Bystanders reported that as Billy the Kid rode out of Lincoln for the last time, he was singing. But Sheriff Garrett wasn't going to let him get away. After Billy's daring escape, Garrett rounded up yet another posse and set out in pursuit of the man he'd captured only a a few months earlier. For the next two months, Garrett and his men prowled the county, but they found no trace of Billy the Kid. Then he got an unexpected tip. Sheriff Garrett's wife heard Billy's girlfriend was pregnant with his child. If that were true, there was a good chance Billy was with her. That was enough for Sheriff Garrett to grab two of his deputies and head to the Maxwell house on the outskirts of Fort Sumner. On the evening of July 14, 1881, the three men snuck into the peach orchard behind Paulita Maxwell's home and waited. After a few hours in the dark, they spied the silhouette of a man in a wide brimmed hat sneaking into the house. Garrett stationed his deputies outside the doors, then snuck into a bedroom to wait. Having noticed the deputies outside, Billy stormed into the darkened room, pistol in hand. Guines? Billy asked in Spanish before repeating the question in English. Who is it? Garrett's response was swift and decisive. He drew his pistol and fired twice, striking Billy the Kid in the heart. Billy died on the floor of his sweetheart's house at the age of 21. Media outlets around the world carried the news of Billy the Kid's death. Papers in London recapped his life story for international audiences. The Santa Fe Weekly Democrat claimed a demon sprung forth from Billy's corpse as soon as he hit the ground. Dime store novels skyrocketed in popularity after his death, and his legend continued long after that. Even today, people are still fascinated by Billy the Kid. Despite his short life, the outlaw, thief and murderer made quite, quite the impression. But in the end, he left a child alone to be raised without a father. And his only real legacy was bloodshed. Reflecting on this week in crime history, we can see how alluring the outlaw life might be to a young man with nothing to lose. The orphaned Henry McCarty remade himself as Billy the Kid in search of glory, purpose and fame. Meanwhile, Abdoulaye Muse set sail in search of a big payday that could lift him and his family out of poverty. Both men got a brief taste at the life they so badly wanted and both paid a price for their crimes. Gunned down in the dark or wiling away their youth in a cinder block cell. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Vanessa Richardson and this is Crime House the Show. Crime House the Show is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. At Crime House, we want to express our gratitude to you, our community, for making this possible. Please support us by rating, reviewing and following Crime House the Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, your feedback truly matters. And for ad free and early access to Crime House the Show plus exciting bonus content, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. We'll be back next Monday. The show is hosted by me, Vanessa Richardson and is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Crime House the Show team Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Natalie Pertzovsky, Lori Marinelli, Sarah Camp, Truman Capps, Haniya Saeed and Michael Langsner. Thank you for listening. What drives a person to murder? Find out from a licensed forensic psychologist on Killer Minds, a Crime House Original Podcast. New episodes drop every month, Monday and Thursday. Follow wherever you get your podcasts.