by W. C. Jameson (Author)
The brochure for a popular state park established in 1980 and nestled in the foothills of the Sacramento Mountains in the southern part of New Mexico states that it was "named for Oliver Milton Lee, a pioneer...rancher and state legislator...." What the brochure does not relate is that Oliver Lee was also a killer, a man whose sense of physical and economic survival led him to the planning and execution of plots to kill Albert Jennings Fountain, an influential and prominent soldier, newspaperman, politician, and judge, as well as Pat Garrett, at the time one of the most famous and visible lawmen in the country. Though Oliver Lee was responsible for the deaths of several men, the killings of Fountain and Garrett, both shrouded in controversy and mystery, have been regarded as among the most sensational assassinations in the history of the American West. In addition, Lee either killed or masterminded the killings of others, including a cattle detective, an El Paso constable, ranchers, and cowhands. In every case, Lee got away with murder.