What Happened To Tom O’Folliard In Billy The Kid Season 2 Episode 4? What The True Story Reveals

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Billy the Kid.

One of the real-life beat friends of Billy the Kid faced an uncertain future in season 2, episode 4 of the MGM+ series. The series, which chronicles the rise of notorious outlaw William H. Bonney into becoming one of the most infamous outlaws of the Old West, paints a generally compassionate picture of the legendary figure. Earlier in Billy the Kid season 2, Billy had initially turned Tom away, thinking he was just some lost kid who heard a story about Billy and wanted to meet him like any other fan. After hearing Tom’s story, Billy takes the young man under his wing, and the two form a genuine bond.

Tom reveals to Billy in Billy the Kid season 2 that he has no family and is an orphan just like him. This gives Billy a soft spot for Tom and a desire to protect him, although that is not always possible, especially given the threat of the Jesse Evans Gang and the Lincoln County War. Tom proves himself to be an eager and loyal fighter alongside Billy the Kid and the Regulators but may have also been somewhat naive as he is almost killed in one of the first major battles of the Lincoln County War. Billy does his best to take care of him after the murder of Sheriff Brady in the episode and quickly comes up with a plan to keep Tom safe.

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The Real Tom O’Folliard Survived His Wounds & Escaped From The Lincoln County War

Tom O’Folliard was reportedly not shot in the leg during the ambush on Sheriff William Brady as depicted in the MGM+ series. In fact, it was Billy the Kid who was said to have been shot in the leg in real life after pulling something off of William Brady’s dead body. According to historical accounts, O’Folliard was wounded in a later battle during the Lincoln County War, which turned out to be the infamous Battle of Lincoln. The real-life O’Folliard was shot in the shoulder, not the leg, as he was escaping from Alex McSween’s burning house in the final battle of the Lincoln County War.

Tom Was A Fugitive With Billy The Kid Before Being Killed By Pat Garrett In 1880

Tom was one of the few former members of the Regulators to continue riding with Billy the Kid even after the Lincoln County War had ended. He, Billy, and former Regulator Charlie Bowdre were all fugitives together and got along for a while by stealing other people’s cattle and selling the stock. Tom was a loyal member of Billy the Kid’s new gang along with other prominent Old West outlaws such as Tom Pickett, Billy Wilson, and Dave Rudabaugh. Tom suffered the same fate as Billy the Kid, getting shot and killed by Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1880 and he was buried alongside his best friend Billy who died in 1881.