No pardon for Billy the Kid

Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico in the United States has refused to pardon Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid, saying there's not enough proof to forgive the infamous gunslinger, killed in 1881.

Advocates for a pardon said the legendary gunman - reputed to have shot dead 21 people, one for each year of his life - had reached a pardon deal with then-governor Lew Wallace in exchange for testimony regarding another shooting.

But Wallace allegedly failed to pardon the outlaw, who was then shot down by Sheriff Pat Garrett on July 14.

Richardson said he had been investigating Billy the Kid - whose real name was William H Bonney - since he first took office. But he had decided not to pardon him because of a lack of conclusiveness and the historical ambiguity as to why Governor Wallace reneged on his pardon.