Patrick Garrett

Patrick Floyd Jarvis “Pat” Garrett, the lawman famous for killing the outlaw Billy the Kid, was a man whose life and death became legends of the American West. Born in Alabama on June 5, 1850, Garrett’s path led him to New Mexico, where he served as the sheriff of Lincoln County and later Doña Ana County. At 57, the White / Caucasian man was a rancher, though facing significant financial difficulties. His life, defined by his role in taming a lawless frontier, ended not in a blaze of glory, but in a mysterious and controversial roadside killing that remains one of the West’s most debated unsolved murders.

On the morning of February 29, 1908, Garrett was traveling by buggy from his ranch in the Organ Mountains toward Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was accompanied by Carl Adamson, a prospective buyer for his heavily indebted ranch. Along the Mail-Scott Road, about five miles east of Las Cruces, they met Wayne Brazel, a cowboy who was leasing Garrett’s land to graze goats and who objected to the ranch sale. An argument broke out between Garrett and Brazel. According to the story later told by Adamson and Brazel, the argument grew heated. At one point, Adamson stopped the buggy, and as he and Garrett stepped out to relieve themselves, the confrontation escalated. Garrett was shot twice—once in the back of the head and once in the abdomen as he fell.

Around noon that day, Brazel arrived at the office of Doña Ana County Deputy Sheriff Felipe Lucero in Las Cruces and reportedly exclaimed, “Lock me up! I’ve just killed Pat Garrett!” Adamson, the sole eyewitness, accompanied him and handed over Brazel’s revolver, corroborating a story of self-defense. However, the circumstances were immediately suspicious. Garrett was found with one glove off, unarmed, and seemingly in a vulnerable position when he was shot from behind. His body was left by the side of the road.

The initial investigation and autopsy only deepened the mystery. Dr. W.C. Field, who examined Garrett’s body, concluded that the killing was a cold-blooded, first-degree murder. The bullet that killed him could have been a .45 slug or a .44-40 Winchester bullet, a round compatible with both a revolver and a rifle. This detail became significant when investigators for the New Mexico Territory, Captain Fred Fornoff and Attorney General James M. Hervey, examined the murder site five days later. They discovered two freshly fired .44-40 Winchester rifle shells, which contradicted the story that Brazel had used a revolver and suggested another shooter may have been present.

Despite the conflicting evidence and the investigators' belief that Adamson’s story was false, Wayne Brazel was indicted for murder on April 13, 1908. His trial began over a year later, on May 4, 1909. Brazel was defended by Albert B. Fall, a powerful and ruthless local attorney with deep political connections. The prosecution’s case, led by a known associate of Fall’s, was notably weak. Crucially, the only eyewitness, Carl Adamson, was never subpoenaed and did not testify. The defense presented witnesses who claimed Garrett had threatened Brazel’s life. After only 15 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. That evening, a celebratory barbecue was held at the ranch of W.W. Cox, a prominent and influential rancher who was rumored to have wanted Garrett dead.

Brazel’s acquittal did not close the case in the court of public opinion. For over a century, historians and researchers have debated the identity of the true killer. Theories abound, many pointing to a conspiracy orchestrated by Garrett’s powerful enemies. Suspects have included not only Brazel and Adamson but also Cox and a notorious hired killer named Jim “Killin’ Jim” Miller. One theory suggests Miller was hired to ambush Garrett and that Brazel, who was possibly coerced or paid, agreed to take the blame, protected by a legal defense designed to ensure his acquittal.

Pat Garrett was buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Las Cruces. His murder officially remains unsolved. While Wayne Brazel confessed and was tried, his acquittal means that, legally, no one was ever held responsible for the death of the legendary lawman. The conflicting accounts, the questionable trial, and the political intrigue of the era have ensured that the question of who really killed Pat Garrett endures as a haunting mystery of the Old West.