it wasn't only his spurs, but his boots as well, no? But to answer your question, search me. No clue. I've always wondered whether someone or someones (perhaps even a critter or two), hadn't stumbled upon the corpse prior to Yoast discovering it and kept mum about it (as critters will). Doesn't make a lot sense though. Were that the case, his weapons and watch chain doubtless would have been purloined as well.

The one apparent detail that has consistently bothered me above all is the coroner's characterization of the scalp wound viz. a piece--the size is left unremarked upon--"removed as though with a sharp knife." I'm no forensic expert, but this would seem to preclude the possibility of it being the exit location of the bullet that entered at the temple. So unless we insist that that description is not entirely accurate, and we have no basis on which to do so, we are left to speculate about how that happened, though I am skeptical that it was done by some unknown killer to deflect in the direction of Indians, that being a (baseless?) theory that others have suggested. But aside from that....

By the way, thanks for including Lynn's conjecture, but even he prefaces his comments with that all-important word--IF. "If Ringo was suspected of stealing..." And if Lynn doesn't know whether such suspicion in fact existed, then I am willing to take his word for it that no one knows.

Have to say, I am beginning to sense that at this point I am beating a dead Joker or Buckshot, Scout or Silver, Topper, Trigger or Champion, at least with respect to my original question concerning the motive behind Wyatt's fabricated claim. It remains a head-scratcher. So be it.