EPISODE · Mar 17, 2026 · 30 MIN
Gunsmoke: "Billy the Kid" – The Killer Was 12 Years Old
from Radio Archeaology · host gunsmoke
When a notorious wanted criminal named Clay Richards turns up dead — draped across his saddle and delivered to Dodge City by a German farmer named Pete Ziglar — Marshal Matt Dillon finds himself standing at the centre of a storm he never saw coming. Ziglar had every reason to want Clay dead: a $400 bounty on the man's head, and a bank mortgage about to swallow his farm whole. The town doesn't need much convincing. But this episode of Gunsmoke refuses to end where you expect it to. Doc's autopsy delivers a chilling revelation: Clay Richards wasn't shot. He was stabbed through the spine with a small blade — the kind you'd find on a Barlow knife. The real killer is Bob, a 12-year-old runaway from Cottonwood who idolised the romance of gunfighters and dreamed of filling his gun handle with notches. His mother arrives at the final, devastating moment — only to reveal she'd given him a Barlow knife when he begged her for a real gun. Bob vanishes before Dillon can catch him, leaving the marshal standing in the dust with a truth too dark to shake.Episode Highlights & Quotes"You don't keep scores, son. It's something you try to forget." – Marshal Matt Dillon, "He wanted a real one. That boy's just gun crazy. I swear. I got him a nice Barlow knife instead." – Miss Bonnie, unknowingly revealing her son is the true killerVoice message The PULSE and be part of the podcast!Click here to learn how to Support the showSpecial Thanks to Our Sponsor: Thrifty Foods Parksville for supporting ThePulseCommunity.ca.Sign up for our weekly newsletter of new podcast releases and contests!Looking for more Vancouver Island Content? The PULSE Community websiteThe PULSE Community Podcast is on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, TikTok and YouTube podcasts, as well as ThePulseCommunity.ca.Check out Skookum Kid's Stories with NEW Colouring pages on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube Podcasts."Like, Share & Listen!"#ThePulseCommunity #PulsePodcast #ParksvilleQualicumBeach #RadioArchaeology #Gunsmoke #MattDillon
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When a notorious wanted criminal named Clay Richards turns up dead — draped across his saddle and delivered to Dodge City by a German farmer named Pete Ziglar — Marshal Matt Dillon finds himself standing at the centre of a storm he never saw coming. Ziglar had every reason to want Clay dead: a $400 bounty on the man's head, and a bank mortgage about to swallow his farm whole. The town doesn't need much convincing. But this episode of Gunsmoke refuses to end where you expect it to. Doc's...
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Gunsmoke: "Billy the Kid" – The Killer Was 12 Years Old
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