Residents fear vandalism on historic murder site

While many were celebrating the February 29th leap day on Monday, others were marking the anniversary of one of the biggest events in the history of Dona Ana County, the murder of Sheriff Pat Garrett. Garrett was killed by a gunshot to the back of the head 108 years ago.

The site of the sheriff’s murder is about one mile from a historical marker in east Las Cruces.

Way out in the desert, which is difficult to get to, you’ll see these stones with Pat Garrett’s name carved in and the year he was killed,1908. There are also fresh flowers and a note that reads ‘after further research, the murder actually happened 50 feet ahead.’

Garrett is famous for gunning down the legendary outlaw, Billy the Kid. The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear, though. Some say he was ambushed while taking a stop in the desert.

The site has not been preserved, and history buffs fear new home development may overtake it. They also fear vandalism.

“It’s been desecrated once already,” Patrick Gillespiethere, who lives near the site said. “It was apparently a memorial his mother attached to the angle iron that’s coming out of the concrete out there where the date is scratched in the cement and apparently someone cut that off and took it. There’s more history in this state then anybody could ever imagine. It’s just a very fantastic place.”

On Monday, the New Mexico State Historical Society said it was not aware of any plans to preserve the site.