Billy the Kid's tombstone was stolen in 1951, and its location remained a mystery for twenty-six years until 1976, when Joe Bowlin recovered it in Granbury, Texas. The tombstone was stolen again on Feb. 8, 1981, and recovered four days later in Huntington Beach, California. Governor Bruce King arranged for De Baca County Sheriff "Big Jim" McBride to fly to Los Angeles to retrieve it, and Chamber officials, along with Jarvis P. Garrett, officially reset it in iron shackles at Billy's feet on May 30, 1981.