Folk Figure. Born Robert Newton Ford, one of seven children of James Thomas Ford and Mary Ann Bruin of Missouri. At about age 18, he and his older brother, Charlie, became a peripheral member of the band of outlaws headed by the notorious James brothers. In January 1882, two gang members began an argument that escalated to gunplay. Ford, a friend of Dick Liddell, one of the combatants, calmly shot his opponent, Wood Hite through the head. The gang then began preparations for a robbery of the Platte City Bank. Shortly thereafter, Liddell surrendered himself to authorities, placing Bob Ford by association, in a bad light with the gang. The Fords then apparently decided to make the best of their situation by betraying Jesse James for the offered $10,000 bounty that had been placed on James's head by the Governor of Missouri. The brothers were taking breakfast with James on the morning of April 3, 1882 when Ford became convinced that James had tumbled to their plan. As James climbed upon a chair ostensibly to dust off a picture; Ford shot the outlaw through the head. Ford turned himself in and claimed the reward on James. Although he was granted a percentage of the reward, he was also charged with the murders of both Hite and James. At trial he was convicted and sentenced to hang. He was, however, almost immediately pardoned by the governor. After his release, Ford tried to earn a living by posing for photographs as "the man who killed Jesse James" but was largely shunned as a traitor. He eventually moved to the silver town of Creede, Colorado where he opened a tent saloon. Shortly after opening, Ed O'Kelley entered Ford's place armed with a sawed-off shotgun. According to witnesses, Ford's back was turned when O'Kelley called out, "Hello, Bob," and as Ford turned, O'Kelley fired with both barrels, killing Ford. Ford was initially buried in Creede, but was later exhumed and reburied in the Richmond City Cemetery, Missouri. O'Kelley was convicted of the murder on July 12, 1892 and spent eight years in prison.