The Last Manhunt 2022

The film follows a Paiute man named Willie, who treks across the desert after the accidental death of Carlota’s father. Blame is placed on the young couple and they are pursued by a group of indigenous people looking for justice.

After some time running from the posse led by Sheriff Wilson, Carlota is bitten by a snake and becomes ill. Willie Boy runs off to Clara to get medicine for Carlota, who is left at Ruby Mountain. The indigenous members of the posse want to kill Willie Boy for murdering Carlota’s father, but Sheriff Wilson reiterates that he wants to bring Willie in alive, and threatens to “put them down” if they don’t comply. After spotting Carlota from a distance, an indigenous member of the posse shoots and kills her, mistaking Carlota for Willie.

Carlota’s body is brought back to Banning, California; while the rest of the posse continue on the hunt for Willie. Willie draws them into a desert enclosure surrounded by steep cliffs, where he opens fire on the posse from above. He only aims for their horses, with no intent to kill any of the men. He escapes to the side of the mountain, where Sheriff Wilson shouts out to Willie that Carlota is dead, and her body has been returned to Banning.

After hearing this, Willie contemplates suicide, holding his rifle under his chin. However, he does not kill himself, and continues his escape. The posse decide to stage Willie’s death for the newspaper, with Big Jim lying on the floor as the “dead” Willie Boy, with the posse standing over him. It is revealed in the end (according to oral records from the Chemehuevi tribe) that Willie survived the events of 1909, and lived in isolation near Pahrump, Nevada. He eventually died from Tuberculosis. It also states that Willie Boy and Carlota survived approximately 26 days and 600 miles together on foot, becoming the longest and last great manhunt of the wild west. Newspapers from the time claimed that Willie Boy had shot Carlota himself, and not the posse. This has since been disproven.