In 1881, young starstruck Robert “Bob” Ford seeks out Jesse James when the James Gang is planning a train robbery in Blue Cut, Missouri, making unsuccessful attempts to join the gang with the help of his older brother Charley, already a member. The train turns out to be carrying only a fraction of the money originally thought, and a dispirited Frank James leaves the gang and his brother.
Jesse returns home to Kansas City, Missouri, bringing the Fords, Dick Liddil and Jesse’s cousin, Wood Hite. Jesse sends Charley, Wood, and Dick away, but insists that Bob stays for help in moving furniture to a new home in St. Joseph, Missouri. Bob becomes more admiring of Jesse before being sent away.
Liddil reveals to Bob that he is in collusion with another member of the James gang, Jim Cummins, to capture Jesse for a substantial bounty. Meanwhile, Jesse visits another gang member, Ed Miller, who gives away information on Cummins’ plot.
Jesse kills Miller, then departs with Liddil to hunt down Cummins. Unable to locate him, Jesse viciously beats Albert Ford, a young cousin of Bob and Charley who had hosted him. Later, Liddil stays with Hite at Hite’s father’s house, where he has sex with Hite’s young stepmother.
Upon learning this, Hite tracks Liddil down to Bolton’s and holds him at gunpoint, but Bob intervenes, fatally shooting Hite. They dump his body in the woods to conceal the murder from Jesse.
Jesse appears at the Boltons’ for dinner, where the Fords deny having seen Liddil recently. At dinner, Jesse mocks Bob for his idolization of him, leading Bob to become less enchanted with and more resentful of Jesse, especially after hearing about what was done to his cousin.
Bob tries to capitalize on the shooting, starring in a theater show in Manhattan which sees them re-enacting Jesse’s murder, but people soon gradually become hostile towards the pair, hailing Jesse as a legend and calling Bob a “coward.” Guilt-stricken, Charley commits suicide in May 1884. Bob tries to move on with his life, becoming increasingly regretful of his past actions. On June 8, 1892, Bob is murdered by Edward O’Kelley at his saloon in Creede, Colorado.
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