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1960: Ken moves his young girlfriendSally into his house with Sharon. The murder of Ken Rex McElroy isn't 'unsolved' in the typical sense of the word. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 July 10, 1981) was an American criminal and convicted attempted murderer who resided in Skidmore, Missouri, United States. The Cold Case Murders That Keep Retired Detectives Up at Night, Citizen Detectives Uncover Crime Clues on Websleuths Online Forum. Those who spoke out were taciturn. McElroys rear window was shot out and the front window as well. Instead of playing out in court, the details emerged in newspaper and magazine accounts, as well as a best-selling book, In Broad Daylight: A Murder in Skidmore, Missouri, which was later made into a television movie. He dropped out of school at age 15 in the eighth grade and quickly established a local reputation as a cattle rustler, small-time thief, and womanizer. Yet the identity of McElroys killer is a public secret Skidmore has kept for 38 years. All Rights Reserved. Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1982) - Genealogy - geni family tree There wasnt much parental supervision, but McElroy had a knack for taking care of himself. The Chilling Murder of Skidmore Town Bully Remains a Mystery - Medium The person(s) responsible for firing the shots that killed McElroy remains unsolved. Sixteen days after Trena gave birth, both she and Alice fled to Trena's mother's and stepfather's house. On July 10th, 1981 Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in the street in broad daylight infront of 60 witnesses. He quit.. The couple then moved to Colorado. The Tylenol Murders: Is It Too Late to Solve the Famous Cold Case? I have no doubt hed have tried to kill my mom. He met his last wife, Trena McCloud (19572012), when she was 12 years old and in eighth grade. Joyce Monte, daughter of injured grocer. "[13], McElroy was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Joseph, Missouri. This past weekend marked the 40th anniversary of the killing of Ken Rex McElroy of Skidmore. We might not see him for three or four days, and then wed see him every day for weeks, Monte said. Ken Rex McElroyThe Thirtieth Anniversary of his Killing Former Nodaway County prosecutor David Baird, Its proceedings are secret, but in news interviews at the time, McElroys widow said she told a county grand jury who murdered her husband. In all, there were 46 potential witnesses to the shooting, including Trena McElroy, who was in the truck with her husband when he was shot. During the meeting, McElroy arrived at the D&G Tavern with Trena. The grocer lived and McElroy was again arrested and charged with attempted murder. McElroy appealed the case and was released on bond. Worse felonies included assault and arson. Dunbar talked to him, and [McElroy] pulled a gun on him, Monte said. She eventually filed a wrongful death against the town, the county, and some citizens but the matter was settled out of court. Obsessed with travel? Is No One Saw A Thing A True Story? The Real-Life Murder - ScreenRant They could have pushed and dug, pushed and dug and gotten nothing., We were so bitter and so angry at the law letting us down that it came to somebody taking matters in their own hands, she said. Tensions in Skidmore soared as McElroys trial neared. His eyes just really put you in defense modehe really looked like a mean person.. [6] Trena and her baby were placed in foster care at a home in Maryville, Missouri. No one called for an ambulance. Need help with the site? - A&E McElroy burned down the girls home and shot her familys dog to force her parents to agree to the marriage. They thought about his wife and his children, and where it left them particularly the children.. By the time McElroy was shot dead under the glare of the morning sun on July 10, 1981, everybody feared his hair-trigger temper and brooding presence. How could it? The trial collapsed yet all accounts are sceptical that the witnesses were telling the . In Broad Daylight by Harry N. MacLean / Via. Ken is later charged and arrested. Boyer was out showing a trainee the ropes when he got the call of a shooting in Skidmore. What set off McElroy and put the local grocer in his crosshairs was the pettiest of offenses. No one bothered to turn it off. Ken had 13 siblings: Hershell Eugene McElroy, Orvil O McElroy and 11 . When Estes and state troopers arrived back in town, the streets were empty and quiet, save the rumbling, smoking engine of McElroys truck. On the morning of July 10, 1981, several townspeople met with the Nodaway County sheriff at a local hall to discuss what could be done about McElroy. I dont know what happened,' Boyer recalls witnesses saying. He was represented by defense attorney Richard Gene McFadin of Gallatin, Missouri. I am a History Educator and a Lifelong Learner with a Masters in Global History. Full Worm Moon: Will Conditions Favor A Moonbow? They settle in Skidmore. Many wondered: Why didnt Baird press charges against the man Trena McElroy fingered as her husbands killer? 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. June 29th, 1981: McElroy enters a bar with an illegal firearm, due to him being out on bail. September 2nd, 1982: Keven though there were over sixty witnesses, no one came forward to name the shooter. He raped McCloud repeatedly. The verdict was second-degree assault and two years. Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! There just wouldnt have been a story.. Born in 1934, Ken Rex McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. Some of these things are simply assumed to be factual, Baird said. How did this uneducated person how is he able to outwit the criminal justice system for 20 years? said MacLean. And Mr. Baird lost his first election, in the Democratic primary this year, by just 25 votes, a loss noted by The Kansas City Star because of his connection with the case. Filmmaker Avi Belkin's 'No One Saw a Thing . On July 27, 1976, Skidmore farmer Romaine Henry said McElroy shot him twice with a shotgun after Henry challenged him for shooting weapons on Henry's property. The Vigilantemurder of Ken Rex McElroy still remains a mystery today. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 - July 10, 1981) was a resident of Skidmore, Nodaway County, Missouri. Author Harry MacLean wrote a book McElroys story called In Broad Daylight. And his deeds were as daunting as his appearance. 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. It was a matter of self-preservation. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8iUdp33PqTsix2sGblEQZ8m5FQycC5D Vigilante justice, or. Mable was born on February 28 1897, in Dover, Shawnee County, KS, USA. As of 2019, many of the main players in McElroys story have died, including McFadin, Trena McElroy, Bowenkamp and the rancher accused of pulling the trigger, MacLean writes in his blog. The guns were never recovered. If you were to go to Skidmore today, there isn't much to see. Ken McElroy issues threats against the Bowenkamp family. BuzzFeed McElroy allegedly stole livestock, grain, gasoline,. (Editors Note: Patch Deputy National Editor Beth Dalbey grew up on a farm about 10 miles from Skidmore, Missouri.). After McElroy finished his drinks, he purchased a six pack of beer, left the bar, and entered his pickup truck. In 1980, one of McElroy's children got into an argument with a clerk, Evelyn Sumy, in a local grocery store owned by 70-year-old Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp and his wife Lois, allegedly because the young McElroy child tried to steal some candy. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. You know how he oppressed and threatened us. A bond hearing was ordered. McElroys wifewhom he victimized as a childremarried and moved to Lebanon, Missouri. There were plenty of eyewitnesses, as well as the attack happened in broad daylight, therefore YouTubeThe towns local bar in Skidmore, Missouri. Missouri-based journalist Steve Booher described the attitude of some townspeople as, "He needed killing. *In Broad Daylight by Harry N. MacLean 1988. June 25th, 1981: McElroy returns to Skidmore out on bail until an appeal hearing. Still, the panel didnt return an indictment, giving rise to conspiracy theories about a law enforcement coverup, also a theme in No One Saw a Thing.. 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. Local authorities, including a coroners jury and a local grand jury, and even the FBI, investigated the killing but to no avail. The town, on the other hand, hated him. Despite the efforts of police, prosecutors and McElroys family, no one has been charged in the murder. They could finally sleep peacefully at night, especially Bo and Lois Bowenkamp and their children. He believes one of the gunmen was the suspect named by the widow. The man asked, what are you doing here? Boyer remembers. Over the course of his life, McElroy was accused of dozens of felonies, including assault, child molestation, statutory rape, arson, hog and cattle rustling, and burglary. That became the pattern. He knew which people to pick on the weak people and he followed through on his threats just often enough to make people believe he was going to do what he said he was going to do. The mere mention of his surname was enough to cause anxiety, if not full terror. A few days later, a pickup truck showed up in the wee hours outside Boyers remote country house. In 1981, McElroy was convicted of shooting . Actually, I think those shooters saved lives in the end, she said. If you liked reading this story on Ken McElroy, the bully who was killed by his town, check out the story of Budford Pussers cold-blooded revenge. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. [Stream episodes of Accused: Guilty or Innocent? Im never going to answer that question. Get out of town, they said. 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 reported crowd of up to 60 men had largely dispersed, but some onlookers remained, staring at the pickup. Weighing in at approximately 270 pounds with bushy black sideburns, McElroy held the entire . If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. There is pretty much nothing in existence that was not stolen by McElroy during his 47 years. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. On July 10, 1981, McElroy was sitting in his truck with his wife Trena McElroy on Skidmore's main drag when a crowd of residents surrounded his vehicle and shot at him several times. On the morning of July 10, 1981, townspeople met at the Legion Hall in the center of town with Sheriff Estes to discuss how to protect themselves. 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. He then returned to Trena's parents' home when they were away and, once again, shot the family dog and burned the house down. 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. CHAPTER ONE. They just went stone silent. April 25th, 1980: A few of Ken's children go to the local grocery store and is accused of stealing by Mrs. Bowenkamp. 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. Farmers carried them to kill varmints, or for hunting displaying them in plain sight in rear window gun racks. Road signs bear a picture of a young man who disappeared nine years ago and is feared dead. I didnt see anything. American criminal and murder victim, killed by vigilantes, "3 decades on, who killed Skidmore town bully still secret", "Ken McElroy Murderer, rapist and consummate intimidator", "Skidmore, Revisited Part 1: The Death of Ken McElroy", "Ken McElroy Murderer, rapist and consummate intimidator Another Teen Love", "Ken McElroy Murderer, rapist and consummate intimidator Saved by the Law", "Ken McElroy Murderer, rapist and consummate intimidator Intent to Kill", The Death Of Ken McElroy *Interesting History* - YouTube, "AS her daughter Tami listens, Trena McElroy retells how she watched", "3 decades on, who killed Skidmore town bully still secret | McClatchy", "Ken McElroy Murderer, rapist and consummate intimidator Murder in Broad Daylight", "Wrongful death lawsuit settled in re Ken McElroy", "Trena McElroy Passed Away | Harry N. MacLean", "You Get What You Pay For, by Larry Beinhart", "Stream It Or Skip It: 'No One Saw A Thing' On SundanceTV, A Docuseries About How Skidmore, Missouri Has Kept A Murder Unsolved For 38 Years", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ken_McElroy&oldid=1136590059, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Pages using infobox criminal with known for parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Bo Bowenkamp (survived an attempted murder), This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 02:52. 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. You know what he was like. The group heard McElroy and Trena McCloud were spotted heading to the tavern nearby. One night after he pulled a speeding pickup truck over, Boyer came face to face with McElroy. Still working within the justice system, witnesses who saw McElroy with the gun gave the information the county prosecutor needed to request a bond revocation hearing. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. Meanwhile, major media outlets descended onto Skidmore and reports of its vigilantes became water-cooler talk across the U.S. For some residents, resentment against McElroy was projected onto the police. He went back home and was shot within a couple of days, explains Conger, editor of the Bethany Republican-Clipper. They slept in shifts, with some friend or family member keeping an eye on the street. The towns local bar in Skidmore, Missouri. The killing was a shocking end for a notoriously brutal man who had terrorized the area for years with seeming impunity from the law until he was struck down in a moment of vigilante justice. No one has any idea what a nightmare we lived.. After Sally had had three kids, Ken kicks her out of the house. E-mail: ramzywritersofficial@gmail.com. Ken Rex McElroy Jr. - Biography - IMDb Edit Ken Rex McElroy Jr. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro Ken Rex McElroy Jr. He begins to rant about how he is going to ruin Bo Bowenkamp. [8] At the trial, two raccoon hunters testified they were with McElroy the day of the shooting away from Henry's property. McFadin, McElroys lawyer, got the hearing postponed. Why are you doing this? in the A&E App.]. At least some of the witnesses surely knew who fired the bullet that shattered the back window of McElroys truck and blew off the back of his head. Shortly after, Strattons wife Margaret was headed to church when she saw a strange truck in the driveway. McElroys wife was not injured and escaped the vehicle. Evelyn tried to explain what had happened, that nobody had accused the children of stealing, and Trena said, Why would my effing daughter lie? . The man identified by the widow as the main gunman recently died, something Mr. Baird raised in suggesting that the case may never be reopened. McElroy made a living leasing land near his farm, and trading and racing dogs. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. 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On a steamy Missouri morning of July 10, 1981, a gunman took aim at the 47-year-old as he sat smoking in his Silverado pickup truck outside the local bar. Everyone just went home. Ken McElroy - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage [9] McElroy was convicted at trial of assault, but freed on bail pending his appeal. The bar soon filled completely. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. McElroy was eventually convicted, but the charge was lessened from "attempt to kill" to "knowingly caused serious physical injury" to ensure a conviction. A lot of them didnt even tell their wives and children. 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. McElroy was a big man with cold eyes who always carried a gun. He would intimidate anyone who got in his way, usually by repeatedly harassing them or threatening them with a bullet. His foot fell to the accelerator when he was shot, causing the engine to run at full bore. The clerk, Evelyn Sumy, was at the back of the store when the doors swung open. We didnt have sufficient evidence to go to trial.. Once you boil away to the facts of what occurred, you can probably point to hundreds of similar reports every week across the United States., If McElroy had been shot by a lone gunman on a dark road at night, it would have made the Maryville paper for a day, MacLean said. No One Saw a Thing - Wikipedia One assumption Skidmore hasnt been able to shed is that McElroys killing was an act of vigilante justice. The bar that provided the backdrop for the shooting is closed and for sale for $20,000. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. It's said the county's law enforcement officials were afraid of encountering McElroy, who was known to be heavily armed. Hed leave, then hed come back, Monte said. Biography Mini Bio (1) Ken Rex McElroy Jr. is known for No One Saw a Thing (2019). McElroy was accused of raping two young women, as young as 12 years old, both of whom he was said to have "married" to keep them from testifying against him. June 16th, 1934: Ken Rex McElroy is born to Mabel and Tony McElroy, the thirteenth out of fourteen children. The town got away with murder, Mr. McFadin said. 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. 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 . His attorney, Richard McFadin, said he routinely defended Ken McElroy in three or four felonies a year. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Almost everyone, with the exception of Bo Bowenkamp, backed down. He was known as "the town bully", [1] and his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. The sheriff said, If you have to shoot him, let us know and well come get him before he starts stinking, Monte said. July 10th, 1981: The Townspeople gather in the Legion to discuss what should be done about Ken McElroy. The local major-cases squad investigated, then the Federal Bureau of Investigation. McElroy was known to have stolen grain, alcohol, gasoline, antiques, and even livestock. Reporting on what you care about. The police chief who oversaw the investigation, Hal Riddle, disagrees. For over twenty years he raped, robbed and burned almost at will. However, an incident would occur in 1980 that changed everything. 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. 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