On November 7, 1908: The Reported Death of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in San Vicente, Bolivia

Over a century ago, two of the American West's most notorious outlaws-Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid-were reportedly gunned down in a remote Bolivian mining town. But the truth behind their final days remains one of the most enduring mysteries in outlaw lore.

On November 7, 1908, Bolivian authorities claimed that two foreign bandits were killed in a shootout in San Vicente, a dusty mining settlement high in the Andes. The men were believed to be Robert LeRoy Parker, better known as Butch Cassidy, and Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, known as the Sundance Kid. Their deaths marked the supposed end of the Wild Bunch, a gang that had terrorized banks and railroads across the American West for more than a decade.

The Flight to South America

By the early 1900s, Cassidy and Longabaugh were under intense pressure from law enforcement, particularly the Pinkerton Detective Agency, which had tracked their movements across multiple states. In 1901, the duo fled the United States with Sundance's companion, Etta Place, settling briefly in Argentina under assumed names.

They purchased a ranch in Patagonia and attempted to live quietly, but their past caught up with them. By 1905, they were forced to abandon the ranch and began drifting through Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, reportedly robbing payrolls and mingling with expatriate mining communities.

Butch Cassidy (played by the late Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (played by the late Robert Redford) in the 1969 movie

The San Vicente Shootout

According to Bolivian police records, the pair's final heist occurred in early November 1908, when two English-speaking bandits robbed a mining company payroll near Tupiza. The Bolivian cavalry pursued them to San Vicente, where the outlaws took refuge in a small adobe house.

On the night of November 6, a shootout erupted. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire for hours. By morning, the bodies of two men were found inside the house-one with a bullet wound to the temple, suggesting suicide. The Bolivians concluded that one outlaw had shot the other before turning the gun on himself.

Though the bodies were never conclusively identified, locals and authorities believed they were Cassidy and Longabaugh. The graveyard in San Vicente still bears a sign: "Here lie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

Doubts and Alternative Theories

Despite the official account, doubts about their deaths emerged almost immediately. No autopsies were performed, and the bodies were buried quickly. The lack of photographic evidence and the absence of definitive identification fueled speculation.

In 1975, Lula Betenson, Butch Cassidy's sister, published a memoir claiming her brother had survived the shootout and returned to the United States under an alias. She recounted a 1925 meeting with Cassidy in Utah, describing him as older but unmistakably her brother.

Another theory suggests that Percy Seibert, a mining engineer and friend of the outlaws, falsely identified the bodies to help them escape scrutiny. According to Betenson's account, Seibert owed Cassidy a favor and saw the misidentification as a way to let the men "go straight."

Legacy and Cultural Impact

Whether they died in Bolivia or lived on in anonymity, the legend of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid has endured. Their story was immortalized in the 1969 film starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, which portrayed them as charming antiheroes-rebels against a changing world.

Cassidy, born in Beaver, Utah, and Longabaugh, from Pennsylvania, became symbols of the fading frontier. Their gang, the Wild Bunch, was known for its daring robberies and loyalty among members. Unlike many outlaws of the era, Cassidy reportedly avoided killing, preferring clever escapes and nonviolent theft.

The town of San Vicente has embraced its place in history. Tourists visit the grave site, and locals recount stories passed down through generations. "My grandfather lived next to where they got shot," said one miner in a 2008 BBC interview. "It's part of our history. They put this village on the map."

The Enduring Mystery

More than a century later, the question remains: Did Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid die in Bolivia, or did they escape and live out their days in obscurity? For historians, the lack of forensic evidence leaves the case open. For fans of the Wild West, the ambiguity only adds to their myth.

What is certain is that November 7, 1908, marks a turning point in outlaw history. Whether it was the end or a clever ruse, the reported deaths of Cassidy and Longabaugh in San Vicente remain one of the most compelling tales of the American frontier's twilight.