What Happened To Ike Clanton After The O.K. Corral Gunfight In Tombstone

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Tombstone!

Tombstone is a Western classic, and here’s what happened to Ike Clanton after the O.K. Corral gunfight that is portrayed in the film. Ike Clanton was one of the Outlaws who fought against the Earps and Doc Holliday at the battle of O.K. Corral, with him being one of the handful of his outlaw gang that managed to live. Tombstone doesn’t show much of what happened to Ike Clanton after the events of the film, but his story goes on far beyond the story that is portrayed in the movie.

Tombstone is a Western classic, with the Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer film exploring the stories of Western legends like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Many titans of the Western genre rear their heads in the 1993 classic, making it one of the defining Westerns of the era, now considered one of the greatest Westerns of all time. Due to the historical claims of the film, many viewers want to know what happened after the events of Tombstone, not just to Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, but also to the outlaws like Ike Clanton.

Ike Clanton FIled Murder Charges Against The Earp Brother After The O.K. Corral Gunfight

He Did It In An Attempt To Turn Public Opinion Against His Enemies

The O.K. Corral Gunfight is one of the most significant real-world moments to be portrayed in Tombstone, but Ike Clanton’s rivalry with the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday didn’t end after the brawl. During the gunfight, Bill Clanton as well as the McLaury brothers were killed. Because of this, Ike Clanton decided to file murder charges against the Earps and Doc Holliday, causing them to be arrested before being released on bail.

Ike Clanton turned out to be a shoddy witness for the prosecution, with his incoherent testimony throwing a lot of doubt on the prosecution’s case. He also spun a number of lies during his testimony, throwing the hearing into chaos. Because of this, the Earps and Doc Holliday were exonerated, ending the case. Due to the failure of the murder charges, Clanton would later attempt to get revenge, albeit in a far less lawful way.

Ike Clanton Was Killed By A Lawman In 1887

His Luck Eventually Ran Out

After failing to get the Earps prosecuted, Clanton led a group to assassinate Virgil Earp in December 1881. While they weren’t successful in killing him, the attack did leave Virgil handicapped for the rest of his life. Morgan Earp was killed in a later assassination attempt in March 1882, one which was also targeted at Wyatt. After these attempts, Wyatt Earp attempted to hunt down Ike Clanton, although he was never found.

After leaving Tombstone, Clanton moved around for a few years, first to a ranch in New Mexico and then to a ranch in Springerville, Arizona. Clanton continued to be pursued by Earp and other members of law enforcement, although reports on his death conflict. It is agreed that Clanton was killed by officer Jonas V. Brigton, although some say he was buried on the spot, while others say his body was left for a few days until a group of Mormons buried him. Ike Clanton never managed to pull himself together after the events of Tombstone, with his crimes eventually leading to his death.

Netflix’s Wyatt Earp And The Cowboy War Dives Deeper Into Ike Clanton’s History

Ike Clanton Was The Original Mob Boss Of Tombstone, Arizona

Netflix’s docuseries Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War offers a more in-depth look at Ike Clanton and his backstory. It lays out how Ike Clanton wasn’t just an uneducated scoundrel and criminal, but the equivalent of an Old West mob boss, as well as an incredibly savvy manipulator of media and the press. As the leader of the cowboy outlaws, the Clantons and the Earps naturally clashed, but it really came to a head when a few men from Ike’s gang robbed a stagecoach moving silver across the desert. Wyatt Earp soon worked out a deal with Clanton, with Clanton giving up the whereabouts of the men in return for payment.

Afterward, Ike Clanton became paranoid that Wyatt Earp was talking about their deal, and that he’d be outed as a rat. His paranoia grew, and his antagonism toward the Earps led to the shootout at the O.K. Corral. That was just the top of the iceberg, though: the real fight came afterward. Ike Clanton had quickly turned the tables and turned the public against Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, who were soon charged with murder in a trial that was sensationalized in national newspapers and highly publicized. The resulting media circus is one that was never touched upon in Tombstone, but was just as interesting as anything in that movie.