Those in attendance felt the system had failed them, and it seemed like none of the authorities could stop McElroy. A bond hearing was ordered. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Ken Rex Melroy was born on June 1st, 1934 to a family of poor tenant farmers who moved to Skidmore. McCloud was McElroy's third "wife," though all unions were suspicious due to the fact that some of his marriages overlapped. June 12th, 1973: After continuing his involvement with Trena McCloud, Ken McElroy burns down Trena's parents' house. McElroy was reportedly a large man (270 pounds), and a local farmer's description of him (seen above) was that he wanted to appear "big and important" and make people "afraid.". In Broad Daylight: A murder in Skidmore, Missouri|Paperback Anyone can read what you share. He put those skills to work rustling hogs and cattle, MacLean recounts. 1 or 2 men (unclear) took guns and shot Ken Rex McElroy dead in his truck. I have no doubt hed have tried to kill my mom. He was known as the town bully , but they may be putting it mildly. Dunbar talked to him, and [McElroy] pulled a gun on him, Monte said. The sheriff said, If you have to shoot him, let us know and well come get him before he starts stinking, Monte said. This past weekend marked the 40th anniversary of the killing of Ken Rex McElroy of Skidmore. A museum dedicated to Skidmore, Mo., sits on Elm Street, the towns main drag. Ken Rex McElroy was an illiterate hog farmer who lived on the outskirts of a small town in Northwest Missouri. So the townspeople held a meeting. The larger-than-life bully who menaced the farming community of Skidmore died in seconds. I said it in 1981, and Ill say it now, Baird told Patch. Ken McElroy died in a hail of gunfire on the morning of July 10, 1981, while sitting in his truck outside a local tavern. July 10th, 1981: The Townspeople gather in the Legion to discuss what should be done about Ken McElroy. Born in 1934, Ken Rex McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. Richard McFadin, 87, a lawyer, now retired, who represented Mr. McElroy in numerous cases and, after the killing, his widow, said he believed there was enough evidence for a prosecution. Vigilante justice is certainly a slippery slope, but after years of dealing with Ken McElroy, the people of Skidmore reached their boiling point. The murder of Ken Rex McElroy isn't 'unsolved' in the typical sense of the word. The Cold Case Murders That Keep Retired Detectives Up at Night, Citizen Detectives Uncover Crime Clues on Websleuths Online Forum. However, an incident would occur in 1980 that changed everything. In all, McElroy was indicted 21 times and managed to escape conviction every time. McElroy made a living leasing land near his farm, and trading and racing dogs. June 29th, 1981: McElroy enters a bar with an illegal firearm, due to him being out on bail. After all these years, people talk about it still, said Marla Messner, 37, a restaurant manager who remembers being hurried inside her home for safety anytime Mr. McElroy came to town. Everyone was so uncomfortable and scared.. However, in 1981, Trena told People magazine that the fire was a result of "faulty wiring.". I think he treated the whole town of Skidmore that way, the 78-year-old said, adding she didnt feel brave. But it got to the point it made me mad.. [2], In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. Once freed, McElroy didnt just quietly celebrate his victory. The story of Ken Rex McElroy began on June 1, 1934. What set off McElroy and put the local grocer in his crosshairs was the pettiest of offenses. We went everywhere we could, but justice would stay delicately out the way, she said. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. No one was surprised. On July 10th, 1981 Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in the street in broad daylight infront of 60 witnesses. There wasnt much parental supervision, but McElroy had a knack for taking care of himself. SKIDMORE, MO Four decades after Ken Rex McElroy was gunned down on the main drag of Skidmore, Missouri, in one of Americas most infamous cold cases, the story of the notoriously brutal town bully has refused to die with him no matter how much the farmers and blue-collar workers who live in the small farming town wish it would. In the months before McElroy went to trial, the Bowenkamps and Sumy went to bed scared, woke up frightened and lived in terror with every breath. In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. McElroy made a living leasing land near his farm, and trading and racing dogs. In 1980, McElroy shot the 70-year-old town grocer in the neck following a months-old dispute over an accusation about a piece of stolen candy. A conviction should have been a victory for the people of Skidmore, but the jury set a maximum sentence of two years, and the judge, without protest from Mr. Baird, released Mr. McElroy on bond pending appeal. The meeting broke up after participants learned McElroy and Trena were at the D&G Tavern. Ken McElroy issues threats against the Bowenkamp family. Recent leaks into killing of town bully Ken Rex McElroy - reddit The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. Part of his teeth were lying on the dashboard, Boyer recalls. [1] To date, no one has been charged in connection with McElroy's death. Ken Rex McElroy was an American known as "the town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri. McElroy divorced Alice and married Trena in order to escape charges of statutory rape, to which she was the only witness. Ken McElroy - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage Skidmore, Part Three - The Murder of Ken Rex McElroy One assumption Skidmore hasnt been able to shed is that McElroys killing was an act of vigilante justice. Sixteen days after Trena gave birth, both she and Alice fled to Trena's mother's and stepfather's house. McElroy raped a 12-year-old girl and, to avoid statutory rape charges, he divorced his wife at the time and married the child when she was 14 and pregnant with their baby. More awful crimes have taken place in the small town. Ken Rex McElroy was born on month day 1934, at birth place, Missouri, to Anthony Wyatt McElroy and Mable Marie McElroy (born Lister). [6], Based on Trena's story, McElroy was indicted in June 1973 for arson, assault, and statutory rape. His successor, Robert Rice, already knew how Mr. McElroy died. The DA declined to press charges and the following investigation proved to be futile. Ken Rex McElroy was an American known as "the town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri. A few days later, a pickup truck showed up in the wee hours outside Boyers remote country house. She was present at the time of his death. McElroy was never a popular man. The noted sites in the story are gone or boardedup. McElroy was furious when he learned of the incident. McElroys rear window was shot out and the front window as well. Harry MacLean, author of "In Broad Daylight". Some people have attributed his strange behavior with this event. Estes, the sheriff some tried to implicate in a conspiracy, is dead. The Story Of Ken McElroy, The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town That it was a vigilante killing is not true for a lot of reasons; if they had decided to kill him, they wouldnt have stood in the street to watch the murder unfold, he said. It cruised up the street, came back and just sat there for 20 seconds, says Boyer, adding he couldnt prove it was McElroy but waited behind a tree with his shotgun just in case. The people of the town keep their heads down and prefer to not speak about the incident. Get out of town, they said. He was known as the town bully, but they may be putting it mildly. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the strangest instances investigators ever saw. A&E, Rolling Stone, Playboy, 60 Minutes, and other media outlets covered the story in print or television. As the case dragged on without a court date, Henry said McElroy had parked outside his home at least 100 times. Some of these things are simply assumed to be factual, Baird said. 1964: Ken meets another girlfriend named Alice Wood. In court, Bowenkamp testified about how McElroy confronted him in the loading dock of the grocery while he was cutting up boxes and shot him in the neck. The people of Skidmore were becoming more and more frustrated with the failures to protect them in the justice system. Over the next two years, three grand juries were empaneled and testimony taken. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroys killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. However, he was also charged with various crimes. Once the shroud of silence fell, there was going to be no one talking, said Cheryl Huston, whose elderly father had been shot by Mr. McElroy and who watched the killing of Mr. McElroy from her familys grocery store but, like the others, said she did not see the gunman. The townspeople organized a caravan to escort the witnesses to the hearing both to protect them and to show solidarity. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. Boyer was out showing a trainee the ropes when he got the call of a shooting in Skidmore. 1954: While working for his sister's husband in construction, McElroy suffers a traumatic head injury that leaves him with lifelong pain. Nodaway County Sheriff Dan Estes suggested they form a neighborhood watch. Sheriff Estes instructed the assembled group not to get into a direct confrontation with McElroy, but instead seriously consider forming a neighborhood watch program. Were the citizens justified in taking matters into their own hands? McElroy was in town and behaving belligerently. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. Once there, he threatened Bo, and shot him in the neck at close range with a shotgun. It was a matter of self-preservation. It was so out of the blue, almost to the point of being surreal, said Monte, who occasionally worked in her parents store. McElroys wife named one person as a possible gunman, but no one couldor wouldidentify who fired the shots. Shortly after, Strattons wife Margaret was headed to church when she saw a strange truck in the driveway. Trena jumped from the truck and a man helped her to safety. Worse felonies included assault and arson. We went to the police. No. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Trena McElroy fingered a local rancher as one of the gunmen, but he denied the claim. [5] She became pregnant when she was fourteen, dropped out of school in the ninth grade, and went to live with McElroy and his second wife Alice. He was hit twice and died in his truck. His lifelong career as a criminal started with petty offenses, but he increasingly became more violent, amassing a rap sheet that included nearly two dozen felony charges for assault, child molestation, statutory rape, arson, burglary, grain theft, and hog and cattle rustling enterprises that kept a thick roll of hundred-dollar bills in his pocket. He was represented by defense attorney Richard Gene McFadin of Gallatin, Missouri. (Editors Note: Patch Deputy National Editor Beth Dalbey grew up on a farm about 10 miles from Skidmore, Missouri.). And Mr. Baird, all these years later, is still unwilling to give his own view on whether justice was served even though or because the killer was never tried. Despite the efforts of police, prosecutors and McElroys family, no one has been charged in the murder. The media descended on Skidmore after the killing, an event that continues to define the people of the small town to the world at times with wildly exaggerated versions of what happened. A couple of men hustled Trena to a nearby bank, away from the gunfire. He was accused or suspected of dozens of crimes, including theft, livestock rustling, burglary, arson, assault, rape, and child molestation. McElroy's appeal hearing was again delayed. Its been over 30 years. Richard Stratton was ready. 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The group heard McElroy and Trena McCloud were spotted heading to the tavern nearby. In April 1980, Trena McElroy told her husband a clerk in the Bowenkamps store had accused their 4-year-old daughter of stealing penny candy. However, when the matter came to trial, McElroys attorney produced a pair of witnesses who testified they were hunting with McElroy that day and he was nowhere near the scene of the shooting. Its never going to happen.. Ken Rex McElroy Jr. - Biography - IMDb Edit Ken Rex McElroy Jr. 'Below the Fold' movie based on Skidmore, Missouri released - WDAF-TV This led to several patrons deciding to see what they could legally do to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. Talking Well Of The Dead: The Shooting Down Of Ken McElroy, USA. July 8th, 1980: The Bowenkamps filed a legal proceeding against Ken McElroy after the incident in their store. Best client I ever had, McFadin said in an interview. You dont take cases to trial to see what might happen, the former prosecutor said. [Stream episodes of Accused: Guilty or Innocent? He reportedly began stalking the Bowenkamp family. McElroy burned down the girls home and shot her familys dog to force her parents to agree to the marriage. Ken Rex McElroy The Movie Database (TMDB) The Mirny Diamond Mine Might Be The Most Mysterious Hole Ever, The Story Of Alain Lamare The Cop Who Moonlit As The Murderer He Was Trying To Catch, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Mable was born on February 28 1897, in Dover, Shawnee County, KS, USA. After McElroy finished his drinks, he purchased a six pack of beer, left the bar, and entered his pickup truck. After dropping out of school in the eighth grade, it didn't take long for Ken McElroy to fall into a life of delinquency. Not only that, they recommended he spend no more than two years in prison. McElroy and Trena returned to the truck, where he lit a cigarette while she was in the passenger seat. A lot of them didnt even tell their wives and children. And his deeds were as daunting as his appearance. And he has already asked the sheriffs office to re-examine some of the unsolved cases. 1948: Approximately the time when Ken begins his small thefts as a young teenager. But unless a very credible witness came forward, its not likely to happen., The Burger Chef Cold Case: Four Murders Still Unsolved Over 40 Years Later. It's hard to believe that this small town was once a bustlingcommunity. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. Shortly after being released, McElroy was at D&G Tavern making threats about murdering Bowenkamp. A memorial in the tiny downtown park displays the name of an expectant mother murdered six years ago, her fetus cut from her womb. Anthony was born on August 27 1890, in Shelton, Knox County, MO, USA. He was punctual, always said he didnt do it, paid in cash and kept coming back.. SKIDMORE, Mo. Yes, its against the law, but you know, the law is not the final definitive word on him. All Rights Reserved. When he got off on a trial, it grew even bigger. The mere mention of his surname was enough to cause anxiety, if not full terror. When Estes and state troopers arrived back in town, the streets were empty and quiet, save the rumbling, smoking engine of McElroys truck. This six-episode true-crime docuseries comes from Sundance TV and premiered last August. Evelyn lived cross the street, and he made sure she could see them. In the decades preceding his murder, McElroy terrorized the denizens of Skidmore. The morning of July 10, 1981, a group of frustrated and angry men gathered at the Legion Hall in Skidmore, MacLean writes. The 12-year-old's parents initially opposed the relationship, but after McElroy burned their house down and shot the family dog, they relented and agreed to the marriage. Trena McElroy accused Skidmore residents of turning her husband into a scapegoat. Known for stealing livestock, harassing women, destroying property and threatening lives, Mr. McElroy had been charged with numerous felonies over the years his lawyer estimated at least three a year but had never been convicted. In July 1976, McElroy pulled a shotgun on farmer Romaine Henry and shot the man in the stomach. The guns were never recovered. One night after he pulled a speeding pickup truck over, Boyer came face to face with McElroy. Almost everyone, with the exception of Bo Bowenkamp, backed down. Perversely, the towns share of tragedy has grown. Ken Rex McElroy, whose still-unsolved murder outside of the local tavern inspired a book and movie both entitled "In Broad Daylight" was known to both of Scott's parents. His father was a tenant farmer, his mother a housewife swamped with feeding and caring for the sprawling family. According to reports, some 50 people were outside the tavern when the shooting started. Livestock owners looked the other way when a few head of cattle or hogs vanished in the night or gas barrels used to fuel farm implements were noticeably emptier. Over the course of his life, McElroy was accused of dozens of felonies, including assault, child molestation, statutory rape, arson, animal cruelty, hog and cattle rustling, and burglary. The verdict was second-degree assault and two years. How did this uneducated person how is he able to outwit the criminal justice system for 20 years? said MacLean. June 25th, 1981: Ken McElroy is sentenced to two years in jail. If you were to go to Skidmore today, there isn't much to see. In a trial for shooting a Skidmore man in 1976 two witnesses appeared saying they had been with McElroy hunting miles away from the scene. The justice system just crashed and burned over this case.. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! Nobody wanted to talk to us, retired Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Boyer tells A&E True Crime. He believes one of the gunmen was the suspect named by the widow. Henry survived and McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill. In fact, anywhere between thirty and ninety people witnessed the . When you didnt know where he was, you didnt dare take the chance of not being on your guard.. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro Ken Rex McElroy Jr. He had been terrorizing Skidmore for years and he kept getting away with it. Someone warned her, Youre about to meet Ken Rex McElroy, Monte said. They thought about his wife and his children, and where it left them particularly the children.. As the story has been told by MacLean and others, McElroy showed up at the D&G tavern and pool hall the next day toting a rifle with a bayonet a violation of his bond and threatened to finish off the Bowenkamps. The people of the town keep their heads down and prefer to not speak about the incident. Its probably accurate that few outside of McElroys family shed tears over his death, but many Skidmore residents still struggle with the spectacle of a man violently and publicly killed. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. The police would not or could not help us or Skidmore. Just months after Mr. Baird became county prosecutor a post he was encouraged to take because nothing exciting ever happens in Nodaway County he found himself in a courtroom for the first time with Mr. McElroy, who had shot an elderly Skidmore grocer in the neck with a shotgun. You know what he was like. There were plenty of eyewitnesses, as well as the attack happened in broad daylight, therefore https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8iUdp33PqTsix2sGblEQZ8m5FQycC5D Vigilante justice, or cold-blooded murder?MERCH: We've got it! McElroy appealed the case and was released on bond. McElroy for the most part escaped prosecution and, certainly, conviction for various crimes. McElroy was hit twice by two different guns and died from injuries to his head and neck. He left town just as Ken and Trena McElroy were driving in, likely passing McElroys Chevrolet Silverado pickup in his cruiser on the road. The person(s) responsible for firing the shots that killed McElroy remains unsolved. I dont know what happened,' Boyer recalls witnesses saying. Road signs bear a picture of a young man who disappeared nine years ago and is feared dead. In 1980, after a misunderstanding about a candy purchase from a Skidmore grocery store involving McElroys daughters, McElroy shot popular owner Bo Bowenkamp in the neck. So what was left?. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. How could it? He had a legendary status, and it all got to be bigger than he was. I got in the car and was shaking so bad.. It was a commemoration of sorts: thirty years ago to the day after Ken Rex McElroy had been shot to death as he sat in his truck on the main street of . Never miss a story by signing up for the newsletter now. This was something that the "town bully," Ken Rex McElroy, staunchly rebelled against. [11] Only Trena claimed to identify a gunman; every other witness either was unable to name an assailant or claimed not to have seen who fired the fatal shots. Five or six of us were standing in front of the Skidmore Caf, waiting and passing the time. Then McElroy, described by veteran journalist Phil Conger as a big brute of a guy with slicked-back hair like Elvis, took the stand. McElroy was getting into his pickup truck with his wife Trena on the main street of Skidmore where there was a crowd of 30 to 50 people. At some point in his life, McElroy was believed to have been seriously injured on a construction site, causing him to suffer from chronic pain. They settle in Skidmore. Anywhere from 30 to 90 people watched the 47-year-old McElroy die in an act that ended his decade-long reign of terror over the people of Skidmore. You dont have a town full of people who were hiding a guilty conscience, he said. McFadin, McElroys lawyer, got the hearing postponed. McElroy sat outside the foster home for hours at a time staring at it. Dozens of them gathered at Skidmores American Legion hall on the morning of July 10, 1981. Everyone in town seemed to know McElroy had done it, yet he spent only a single night in jail for nearly killing the man. McElroy first began his relationship with McCloud when she was 14 and the two had a child shortly thereafter. Trena McElroy remarried and had a fairly normal life, refusing interviews after she left Skidmore. Missouri-based journalist Steve Booher described the attitude of some townspeople as, "He needed killing. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. The murder took place on July 10, 1981, the day after McElroy had threatened Bowenkamp at the tavern. When talking about McElroy, MacLean wondered how he was able to be so crafty. During the meeting, McElroy arrived at the D&G Tavern with Trena. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. Im never going to answer that question. Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. In 1981, vigilantes in Skidmore, Mo., took justice into their own hands and killed town bully Ken Rex McElroy but no one was charged with the crime. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. As he packed up his office last week, he gave his successor a memo that listed a dozen or so unsolved cases in Nodaway County including, down toward the end, the killing of Mr. McElroy. No one has been charged in connection with McElroys death. Somebody would hear his name, and the legend grew bigger. The couple then moved to Colorado. He went back home and was shot within a couple of days, explains Conger, editor of the Bethany Republican-Clipper. Instead, he continued to harass Bowenkamp. What started with hunting raccoons escalated into petty crime until McElroy ultimately emerged as a full-fledged criminal. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. [10] No one called for an ambulance. Luckily, Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was charged with attempted murder. Yet the identity of McElroys killer is a public secret Skidmore has kept for 38 years. When they met him on the street, parents steered their children, especially their daughters, away from McElroy, a notorious womanizer who favored young women and was married multiple times including to a child bride he was accused of raping and fathered 15 children. He made no deathbed confession, but someone wrote in a memorial tribute that he . Ken McElroy - Wikipedia The Strange Killing of Ken Rex McElroy - YouTube Who Killed Ken Rex McElroy: Town Keeps Its Secret For 38 Years The trial collapsed yet all accounts are sceptical that the witnesses were telling the . I had my service weapon drawn, and I wouldnt have been the least bit surprised if he tried to do something, Boyer recalls. McCloud attempted to escape to her parents' house, but McElroy allegedly responded by burning down Trena's parents' home and shooting their dog. The law wasnt going to help the people of Skidmore. As many as 60 Skidmore residents attended, including the mayor and the sheriff. Was justice served? The Story Of Ken McElroy The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town. Timeline | McElroy McElroy started his pickup and the sound of shots pierced the silence. The local major-cases squad investigated, then the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. THE KILLING OF KEN REX MCELROY THIRTY YEARS LATER. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He spent the night in jail before posting bond, then sauntered menacingly back into the D&G tavern and pool hall and took his usual spot. 1, it is murder. So is Stratton. Many wondered: Why didnt Baird press charges against the man Trena McElroy fingered as her husbands killer? But in a dramatic act of . Reached by phone, Mr. McElroys wife, who has since remarried and left the state, said she was not interested in talking about the case.