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After McElroy finished his drinks, he purchased a six pack of beer, left the bar, and entered his pickup truck. So is Stratton. Bullet casings from two different guns were found. The rumor was that he had drowned her father in a bathtub when he had objected to what he was doing to his daughter. Title Directed by Original air date U.S. viewers (millions) 1 "The Killing of Ken Rex McElroy" Avi Belkin: August 1, 2019 (): N/A: Known as the town bully, Ken Rex McElroy terrorized tiny Skidmore, Missouri, for decades.On July 10, 1981, the town had had enough and 60 people surrounded his pick-up truck and shot him dead on Main Street--but no one claimed to have seen a thing. No one was charged, and the FBI closed the case. Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Richard Stratton, the only lawman in northwest Missouri ever known to stand up to McElroy, hunted McElroy down and arrested him on an attempted murder charge. The towns local bar in Skidmore, Missouri. After McElroy fired a gun outside her house, Evelyn Sumy appealed to Dave Dunbar, the town marshal. Sixteen days after Trena gave birth, both she and Alice fled to Trena's mother's and stepfather's house. He quit.. McElroy was found not guilty. Retaliation would be severe. The Tylenol Murders: Is It Too Late to Solve the Famous Cold Case? I dont know what happened,' Boyer recalls witnesses saying. [1], McElroy was born in 1934, the 15th of 16 children born to a poor, migrant tenant-farming couple named Tony and Mabel (ne Lister) McElroy, who had moved between Kansas and the Ozarks before settling outside of Skidmore. She took her complaint to at-the-time Nodaway County Sheriff Roger Cronk. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. McElroy was furious when he learned of the incident. According to reports, some 50 people were outside the tavern when the shooting started. 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. Tell us what you think in the comments below. McElroy and Trena returned to the truck, where he lit a cigarette while she was in the passenger seat. Alas, the victory was short-lived. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. 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. And his deeds were as daunting as his appearance. October 20th, 1974: Ken McElroy marries Trena McCloud to get out of a statutory rape charge with Trena. 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. McElroys rear window was shot out and the front window as well. Carjackers Steal More Cars Many With Kids Still Inside, After Indulgent Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday Signals Abstinence, Fasting. (Editors Note: Patch Deputy National Editor Beth Dalbey grew up on a farm about 10 miles from Skidmore, Missouri.). 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. The police would not or could not help us or Skidmore. His successor, Robert Rice, already knew how Mr. McElroy died. The justice system just crashed and burned over this case.. He was accused or suspected of dozens of crimes, including theft, livestock rustling, burglary, arson, assault, rape, and child molestation. His last wife, Trena, became pregnant with their first child at age 14. Genealogy profile for Ken Rex McElroy Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1981) - Genealogy Genealogy for Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1981) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Both Sally and Sharon begin having Ken's children. Posted on July 14, 2011 by Harry. That became the pattern. Bottles, glasses for restaurants and barsincomible/Getty ImagesFull of Audienceuschools/Getty ImagesAn American police officer posing arms folded beside cop carDarrenMower/Getty ImagesCar Wash Truck SprayA-Digit/Getty ImagesCity People Setedge69/Getty ImagesSilhouette of people in action4x6/Getty ImagesCaucasian farmer standing in irrigated fieldHill Street Studios/Getty ImagesYoung woman on the streetSensorSpot/Getty ImagesShot Truck Driverwwing/Getty ImagesOlder Caucasian man standing with hands in pocketsSam Diephuis/Getty ImagesOutlines of rebellionsshironosov/Getty Imagesmain street remote rural prairie towndlerick/Getty ImagesBlank magazine on wooden backgroundgrinvalds/Getty ImagesEmpty Country Road In UsaDan Thornberg / EyeEm/Getty ImagesCaucasian farmer wearing gloves leaning on wooden fenceSteve Smith/Getty ImagesJudge holding gavel in courtroomChris Ryan/Getty ImagesAuthentic Cowboy Rancher Portraitavid_creative/Getty ImagesSilhouettes of three cowboys on a white backgroundheartbar/Getty ImagesCaucasian security officers posing with flashlightKirk Marsh/Getty ImagesPrivate investigator reports what he seestzahiV/Getty ImagesThis farm is my pride and joypixdeluxe/Getty Imagesdark portrait of a man in a hoodserikbaib/Getty ImagesWhite colored house with blue doorMableen/Getty ImagesYoung couple havi EXTERNAL CREDITSGrant Henderson - Editor+Rick Weller- GFX Artist During the meeting, McElroy arrived at the D&G Tavern with Trena. McElroy was spinning so hard out of control, I have no doubt he would have tried to kill my dad again, given the chance. That they had guns at the ready wasnt unusual. In the end, fear is what killed him, Goslee said. He would intimidate anyone who got in his way, usually by repeatedly harassing them or threatening them with a bullet. The guns were never recovered. 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. 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. It wasn't the kind of murder which goes unsolved for decades and eventually someone comes forward with the tip that breaks the case open. June 29th, 1981: McElroy enters a bar with an illegal firearm, due to him being out on bail. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Tensions in Skidmore soared as McElroys trial neared. When Daylight Saving Time 2023 Begins, Will It Be For The Last Time. The case inspired a book, In Broad Daylight by Harry McLean, and a 1991 TV movie of the same name starring Brian Dennehy. McElroy started his pickup and the sound of shots pierced the silence. The citizens decided to go to the tavern en masse. The meeting broke up after participants learned McElroy and Trena were at the D&G Tavern. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! He believes one of the gunmen was the suspect named by the widow. He met his last wife, Trena McCloud (19572012), when she was 12 years old and in eighth grade. Ken Rex McElroy was an illiterate hog farmer who lived on the outskirts of a small town in Northwest Missouri. He had a legendary status, and it all got to be bigger than he was. 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. But the silence of the townspeople held. Ken Rex McElroy was a 6-foot, 270 pounds, dark-complexioned, blue-eyed man who lived in Skidmore, Missouri. The group heard McElroy and Trena McCloud were spotted heading to the tavern nearby. It was a misunderstanding, but one that made the Bowenkamps lives a living hell for months. When Estes and state troopers arrived back in town, the streets were empty and quiet, save the rumbling, smoking engine of McElroys truck. Again, there were no indictments, and the McElroy murder case was tossed back to Baird. If you were to go to Skidmore today, there isn't much to see. A writer and storyteller out in the world to write about True-Crime and History. Joyce Monte, daughter of injured grocer. But Ken rarely had to wrestle with the Unsolved 'Vigilante' Murder in the Heartland: Missouri Town Goes Quiet After Bully Is Shot, https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/ken-rex-mcelroy-vigilante-murder-skidmore-unsolved. They slept in shifts, with some friend or family member keeping an eye on the street. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroy's killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. We were so bitter and so angry at the law letting us down that it came to somebody taking matters in their own hands, said Bowenkamps daughter, Cheryl Huston. He was represented by defense attorney Richard Gene McFadin of Gallatin, Missouri. Not only that, they recommended he spend no more than two years in prison. In fact, anywhere between thirty and ninety people witnessed the . After Sally had had three kids, Ken kicks her out of the house. Ken Rex McElroy Jr. - Biography - IMDb Edit Ken Rex McElroy Jr. Boyer was taking trajectory measurements at the crime scene when a town official chided him. Trena claimed to have seen someone pull a rifle from the back of the truck, take aim at McElroy, and fire shots that shattered the truck's windows. Bullet casings from two guns were found. Born in 1934, Ken Rex McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. Born in 1934, Ken Rex McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. 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. [12] The DA declined to press charges. 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. McElroy for the most part escaped prosecution and, certainly, conviction for various crimes. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the strangest instances investigators ever saw. [2][3] In 1981, McElroy was convicted of attempted murder in the shooting of the town's 70-year-old grocer Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp. Buzzfeeds Unsolved Network produced a 24-minute true crime documentary on the shooting. There were plenty of eyewitnesses, as well as the attack happened in broad daylight, therefore She was present at the time of his death. Anyone can read what you share. However, he was also charged with various crimes. 1960: Ken moves his young girlfriendSally into his house with Sharon. Best client I ever had, McFadin said in an interview. Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers. 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. Was justice served? Some people have attributed his strange behavior with this event. For example, one of the owners of the D&G tavern would send her young children to the grocery store for paper towels, keeping the children innocently unaware they were telegraphing an urgent message for the Bowenkamps to call the police. Like so many other small towns, Skidmore has shrunk inside itself, watching businesses close and residents depart. Those in attendance felt the system had failed them, and it seemed like none of the authorities could stop McElroy. Town Mute for 30 Years About a Bullys Killing, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/us/16bully.html. Three grand juries heard evidence. [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. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. McElroy's appeal hearing was again delayed. A federal grand jury was convened. He divorces Oleta and marries Sharon to get out of a chargeof assault after shooting Sharon during an argument. RELATED: 10 Of The Best Docuseries You Should Be Watching Now Each episode is around 40 minutes each and contains dramatic and intimate . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. . McElroy was born in 1934, the fifteenth of sixteen children born to a poor . June 12th, 1973: After continuing his involvement with Trena McCloud, Ken McElroy burns down Trena's parents' house. For over twenty years he raped, robbed and burned almost at will. BuzzFeed McElroy allegedly stole livestock, grain, gasoline,. The murder of Ken Rex McElroy took place in plain view of dozens of residents of this small farm town, under the glare of the morning sun. According to a report, no one called an ambulance. It was Richard McFadin, the man who kept Ken McElroy out of jail 21 times, who said it best: The town got away with murder.. Ken McElroy issues threats against the Bowenkamp family. However, he was also charged with various crimes. He dropped out of school before he reached high school, and by 13 was already a familiar character to the cops around Nodaway County. And its likely to stay that way. Known as "the town bully", McElroy was accused of dozens of felonies, including assault, child molestation, statutory rape, arson, hog and cattle rustling, and burglary. Investigators found shell casings from two weapons a .22-caliber Magnum rifle and an 8 mm Mauser, a German World War I-era long-range rifle. Those who witnessed the killing didnt speak of it again, not because they were part of a conspiracy, MacLean believes, but because theyre stoic by nature. Some attributed his bizarre and violent behavior to a head injury suffered in this event. When word spread that McElroy was in town, a couple of the men walked from the Legion hall to the D&G. No. The Vigilantemurder of Ken Rex McElroy still remains a mystery today. She died in 2012. No. [2], In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. McElroy mounted a daily vigil outside Bowenkamps house, his daughter Cheryl Brown recounts in In Broad Daylight: The town emptied out every time he came to town. Tucked away in the northwest corner of Missouri is a small, dusty town 46 miles north of St. Joseph with a decades-old secret. April 25th, 1980: A few of Ken's children go to the local grocery store and is accused of stealing by Mrs. Bowenkamp. We might not see him for three or four days, and then wed see him every day for weeks, Monte said. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. Absolutely not, he said. No one has been charged in connection with McElroys death. The Story Of Ken McElroy The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town. The DA declined to press charges and the following investigation proved to be futile. 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. McElroy was also accused of abusing his first two wives, Sharon and Alice, but Alice defended him in an interview shortly after his death. The people of Skidmore were becoming more and more frustrated with the failures to protect them in the justice system. You could talk to everybody in this case, and theyd give you a different answer, he said in an interview at his office in the red brick county courthouse in nearby Maryville. 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 said he was not at all disappointed to leave office with the case still unsolved. There were so many nights Dad couldnt go out and mow the yard or water the flowers because there was a truck parked down the street, and they were watching the house, Monte said. He was known as "the town bully",[1] and his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. Looking back, the justice system had as much to do with killing Ken McElroy as anyone in Skidmore did.. The Cold Case Murders That Keep Retired Detectives Up at Night, Citizen Detectives Uncover Crime Clues on Websleuths Online Forum. I am a History Educator and a Lifelong Learner with a Masters in Global History. SKIDMORE, Mo. April 10th, 1972: After Alice runs away with their son, Ken McElroy gets into an altercation with Alice's stepfather and shoots him. The morning of July 10, 1981, a group of frustrated and angry men gathered at the Legion Hall in Skidmore, MacLean writes. July 8th, 1980: The Bowenkamps filed a legal proceeding against Ken McElroy after the incident in their store. Why are you doing this? Within a few years, she had had four children by him. After the sheriff left town, the group walked from the hall and went down the street to the tavern. *In Broad Daylight by Harry N. MacLean 1988. As Trena told the story to reporters, a group of men followed them as they left the D&G. McFadin, McElroys lawyer, got the hearing postponed. Ken McElroy was shot to death on the main street of Skidmore in July 1981, in front of 45 witnesses. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. 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.". Everyone just went home. His eyes just really put you in defense modehe really looked like a mean person.. The town has seen more than its share of tragedy. 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. This past weekend marked the 40th anniversary of the killing of Ken Rex McElroy of Skidmore. As Ken McElroy sat in his truck, he was shot at several times. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. 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. He was charged 21 times in theft cases but was said to have avoided conviction through witness intimidation, either by direct confrontation or by parking his truck outside their home. The final straw for Skidmore was when he was let out on bond. Some of these things are simply assumed to be factual, Baird said. Despite three grand juries, no one has been indicted for the . 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. "[13], McElroy was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Joseph, Missouri. Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! We went everywhere we could, but justice would stay delicately out the way, she said. SKIDMORE, Mo. He appeared in a local bar, the D&G Tavern, armed with an M1 Garand rifle and bayonet, and later threatened to kill Bowenkamp. [9] McElroy was convicted at trial of assault, but freed on bail pending his appeal. He was known as the town bully , but they may be putting it mildly. He begins to rant about how he is going to ruin Bo Bowenkamp. Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? A&E, Rolling Stone, Playboy, 60 Minutes, and other media outlets covered the story in print or television. 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. No one has ever been brought to trial in Mr. McElroys death, and, although there is no statute of limitations on murder, most people around here suspect that no one ever will be. The police chief who oversaw the investigation, Hal Riddle, disagrees. Just to be aware, he explained. McElroy divorced Alice and married Trena in order to escape charges of statutory rape, to which she was the only witness. [1] To date, no one has been charged in connection with McElroy's death. 1958: Ken McElroy becomes involved with a young woman named Sharon. You just didnt do that.. Then McElroy, described by veteran journalist Phil Conger as a big brute of a guy with slicked-back hair like Elvis, took the stand. One of the killers has died. We went to the police. Boyer was out showing a trainee the ropes when he got the call of a shooting in Skidmore. He went about making public threats against the grocer while armed with a rifle. He neutralized an entire criminal justice system.. He leaves Sharon to move in with Alice. No one has any idea what a nightmare we lived.. McElroy was never a popular man. A museum dedicated to Skidmore, Mo., sits on Elm Street, the towns main drag. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. Then, on the night of July 8, 1980, McElroy shot 70-year-old Skidmore grocer Ernst Bo Bowenkamp, unwittingly setting up his own murder a year later. Even with these raw wounds, the memory of the nightmare surrounding Mr. McElroy during his years of troublemaking and after a killing that many here feel was forced by an impotent criminal-justice system continues to loom large. Author Harry MacLean wrote a book McElroys story called In Broad Daylight. McElroy four years earlier had pumped a couple of rounds of buckshot into the stomach of local farmer Romaine Henry as he tried to run the blackguard off his land. He was indicted as many as 21 times, but escaped conviction all but once. As many as 60 people were reported to have been at the scene, but not one of them would say who had wielded the weapons. The death of Ken Rex McElroy is a perplexing case that has hung heavy over the town of Skidmore, Missouri for decades. We had shoplifting, but a lot of people were on hard times. Calling the sheriff about his threats was risk few were willing to take not that it would have done much good, Goslee said. An extensive federal investigation did not lead to any charges. [2] He was struck by bullets from at least two different firearms, in front of a crowd of people estimated as numbering between 30 and 46. He reportedly began stalking the Bowenkamp family. Yes, its against the law, but you know, the law is not the final definitive word on him. To the residents of the small town, he was the town bully. Someone shot at McElroy while he was sitting in his truck. They could have pushed and dug, pushed and dug and gotten nothing, said Huston. For more than two decades, McElroy was suspected of being involved in theft of grain, gasoline, alcohol, antiques, and livestock, but he avoided conviction when charges were brought against him 21 timesoften after witnesses refused to testify because he allegedly intimidated them, frequently by following his targets or parking outside their homes and watching them. McElroy was convicted of assault but let out of jail awaiting appeal. You dont have a town full of people who were hiding a guilty conscience, he said. Investigators dug and dug, but Skidmore residents maintained their silence. He torched the home and shot the dogagainafter the girl went into hiding with her and McElroys baby. Luckily, Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was charged with attempted murder. Within hours, Mr. Baird heard that there had been a shooting downtown. The law wasnt going to help the people of Skidmore. Then, on a warm July night, McElroy shot my dad as he sat on the back loading dock of his store, waiting for an air conditioner repairman, Monte said. McCloud was McElroy's third "wife," though all unions were suspicious due to the fact that some of his marriages overlapped. It's said the county's law enforcement officials were afraid of encountering McElroy, who was known to be heavily armed. The FBI entered the case stiff-arming and threatening people, is how Monte, the Bowenkamps daughter, relates it. July 1981: During the 1st week of July it was announced that there would be a delay in McElroy's bond hearing. A couple of men hustled Trena to a nearby bank, away from the gunfire. In the decades preceding his murder, McElroy terrorized the denizens of Skidmore. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro Ken Rex McElroy Jr. A memorial in the tiny downtown park displays the name of an expectant mother murdered six years ago, her fetus cut from her womb. 7 Good News Stories: Sense Of Belonging; Secrets To 70-Year Marriage, EPA Limits On Toxic Forever Chemicals Could Cost Utilities Billions, The Poop On Free-Range Cats And Your Lawn And Garden [Block Talk], Boeing Worker Claims $754.6M Powerball Jackpot, Barrier-Breaking Black Army Officer Finally Awarded Medal Of Honor, FL Blogging Bill Says Political Writers Should Register With State. Henry was forced to admit in court, under questioning by McElroy's attorney Richard Gene McFadin, that he had concealed his own petty criminal conviction from more than 30 years previous. The couple then moved to Colorado. He was very cunning, MacLean told Patch. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. [3] McElroy was acquitted. The murder occurred in broad daylight, with as many as sixty eye-witnesses present . The people of the town keep their heads down and prefer to not speak about the incident. I dont believe youre coming nowafter we needed your help all this time.. Estes, the sheriff some tried to implicate in a conspiracy, is dead. He stood silently at the back of the store, but his wife tore into Sumy in an argument laced with four-letter bombs, Monte said. 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. Of the most serious, McElroy was accused of child molestation and statutory rape. He showed back up in front of their house that night, and he and Trena sat there and watched them, Monte said. McElroy was hit twice and died. They just went stone silent. McElroy wound up shooting Bowenkamp in the neck, nearly killing him. He raped McCloud repeatedly. 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. What could legally be done about McElroy, they asked Sheriff Danny Estes, who had been elected months earlier. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroys killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. He was known as the town bully, but they may be putting it mildly. His foot fell to the accelerator when he was shot, causing the engine to run at full bore. 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. Theoretically, [the murder] could be re-investigated, veteran Kansas City criminal defense attorney J.R. Hobbs tells A&E True Crime. Ken Rex McElroy 1934-1981. Everyone was keeping an eye on us. And he has already asked the sheriffs office to re-examine some of the unsolved cases. Shortly after, Strattons wife Margaret was headed to church when she saw a strange truck in the driveway.