Perversely, the towns share of tragedy has grown. 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 known as "the town bully",[1] and his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. 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 couple then moved to Colorado. Joyce Monte, daughter of injured grocer. 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They know how everybody thinks.. He divorces Oleta and marries Sharon to get out of a chargeof assault after shooting Sharon during an argument. I said it in 1981, and Ill say it now, Baird told Patch. [2][3] In 1981, McElroy was convicted of attempted murder in the shooting of the town's 70-year-old grocer Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp. In the ensuing confrontation, McElroy shot Bowenkamp in the neck; Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Once there, he threatened Bo, and shot him in the neck at close range with a shotgun. He made no deathbed confession, but someone wrote in a memorial tribute that he was a good, brave man. McFadin, the lawyer who once told The New York Times the town got away with murder, is dead, too. 1 or 2 men (unclear) took guns and shot Ken Rex McElroy dead in his truck. Ken Rex McElroy 1934-1981. I am a History Educator and a Lifelong Learner with a Masters in Global History. Evelyn tried to explain what had happened, that nobody had accused the children of stealing, and Trena said, Why would my effing daughter lie? . 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. He was nonplussed. Ken had 13 siblings: Hershell Eugene McElroy, Orvil O McElroy and 11 . Absolutely not, he said. Shortly after, Strattons wife Margaret was headed to church when she saw a strange truck in the driveway. Often, witnesses changed their mind about testifying before trials began, MacLean said, and if a case did make it to trial, a juror might open the mailbox to find a rattlesnake. On July 10th, 1981 Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in the street in broad daylight infront of 60 witnesses. 1954: While working for his sister's husband in construction, McElroy suffers a traumatic head injury that leaves him with lifelong pain. Alas, the victory was short-lived. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! Ken Rex McElroy was born on month day 1934, at birth place, Missouri, to Anthony Wyatt McElroy and Mable Marie McElroy (born Lister). He put those skills to work rustling hogs and cattle, MacLean recounts. So what was left?. They were witnesses. McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill. 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. McElroy was convicted of assault but let out of jail awaiting appeal. April 25th, 1980: A few of Ken's children go to the local grocery store and is accused of stealing by Mrs. Bowenkamp. He begins to rant about how he is going to ruin Bo Bowenkamp. June 16th, 1934: Ken Rex McElroy is born to Mabel and Tony McElroy, the thirteenth out of fourteen children. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. McElroy sat outside the foster home for hours at a time staring at it. 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. Our law enforcement never went after him very hard, he said. 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. The couple then moved to Colorado. I have no doubt hed have tried to kill my mom. This is far from what happened in the case of McElroy. There's a long list of crimes said to have been committed by McElroy, including shooting multiple people. Biography Mini Bio (1) Ken Rex McElroy Jr. is known for No One Saw a Thing (2019). His last wife, Trena, became pregnant with their first child at age 14. 1960: Ken moves his young girlfriendSally into his house with Sharon. McElroy's appeal hearing was again delayed. Tell us what you think in the comments below. I had my service weapon drawn, and I wouldnt have been the least bit surprised if he tried to do something, Boyer recalls. There has been books written, movies, documentaries and more made about the killing. Reporting on what you care about. The police would not or could not help us or Skidmore. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. And its likely to stay that way. Witnessing the murder were McElroys wife, Trena, screaming in the passenger seat and dozens of local residents. He was charged with wading through the sensational details and moral ambiguities of the case to ensure that, in his words, justice was served. When word spread that McElroy was in town, a couple of the men walked from the Legion hall to the D&G. [1] McElroy successfully appealed the conviction and was released on bond, after which he engaged in an ongoing harassment campaign against Bowenkamp and others who were sympathetic to Bowenkamp, including the town's Church of Christ minister. There were plenty of eyewitnesses, as well as the attack happened in broad. He had a legendary status, and it all got to be bigger than he was. Ken Rex Melroy was born on June 1st, 1934 to a family of poor tenant farmers who moved to Skidmore. RELATED: 10 Of The Best Docuseries You Should Be Watching Now Each episode is around 40 minutes each and contains dramatic and intimate . 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 As a result, he was arrested, but quickly released. Farmers carried them to kill varmints, or for hunting displaying them in plain sight in rear window gun racks. July 8th, 1980: The Bowenkamps filed a legal proceeding against Ken McElroy after the incident in their store. Additional charges were filed against McElroy.[7]. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 - July 10, 1981) was a resident of Skidmore, Nodaway County, Missouri. 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. McCloud was McElroy's third "wife," though all unions were suspicious due to the fact that some of his marriages overlapped. Another was McElroys intimidation tactics, MacLean writes. June 12th, 1973: After continuing his involvement with Trena McCloud, Ken McElroy burns down Trena's parents' house. McElroy would just sit and glower at you just stare at you and youd never know what he was thinking.. A man who turned out to be McElroy pointed a shotgun at me, Margaret tells A&E True Crime. SKIDMORE, Mo. Ken Rex McElroy, a notoriously brutal man who had terrorized Skidmore, Mo., for years, was killed in 1981. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. Known as 'the town bully', his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. Once, he even got out and fired a shotgun up in the pine tree by their house. If you were to go to Skidmore today, there isn't much to see. A trial took place the following year and for the first time ever, Ken McElroy was convicted. The people of the town keep their heads down and prefer to not speak about the incident. And his deeds were as daunting as his appearance. To the residents of the small town, he was the town bully. No one called for an ambulance. A couple of men hustled Trena to a nearby bank, away from the gunfire. 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.. Yes, its against the law, but you know, the law is not the final definitive word on him. McElroy wound up shooting Bowenkamp in the neck, nearly killing him. Tensions in Skidmore soared as McElroys trial neared. The noted sites in the story are gone or boardedup. Some attributed his bizarre and violent behavior to a head injury suffered in this event. Within hours, Mr. Baird heard that there had been a shooting downtown. McElroy began backing out too, then tailed Margaret until she radioed Richard and squad cars showed up. 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. The man asked, what are you doing here? Boyer remembers. His successor, Robert Rice, already knew how Mr. McElroy died. The final straw for Skidmore was when he was let out on bond. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the strangest instances investigators ever saw. McElroy and Trena returned to the truck, where he lit a cigarette while she was in the passenger seat. She gathered her strength and put the car in reverse. Dozens of them gathered at Skidmores American Legion hall on the morning of July 10, 1981. Ive never thought there was a series of phone calls that went around dont say this or that. Those farmers have known each other since they were children. He found a macabre scene. THE KILLING OF KEN REX MCELROY THIRTY YEARS LATER. It's worth noting that the abused defending their abuser often occurs in domestic violence cases. That was the last straw, MacLean said. 2023 by Catlyn Brady, Jennifer Partridge, & Kara Severson. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 July 10, 1981) was an American criminal and convicted attempted murderer who resided in Skidmore, Missouri, United States. 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. Meanwhile, McElroy and his wife arrived at the D&G Tavern for a morning drink. After Sally had had three kids, Ken kicks her out of the house. Nodaway County Sheriff Dan Estes suggested they form a neighborhood watch. 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. His eyes just really put you in defense modehe really looked like a mean person.. A few days later, a pickup truck showed up in the wee hours outside Boyers remote country house. He neutralized an entire criminal justice system.. In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. 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. No one bothered to turn it off. We stood up and did the right thing. McElroys wife named one person as a possible gunman, but no one couldor wouldidentify who fired the shots. 1. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. Full Worm Moon: Will Conditions Favor A Moonbow? It was so out of the blue, almost to the point of being surreal, said Monte, who occasionally worked in her parents store. 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. The townspeople organized a caravan to escort the witnesses to the hearing both to protect them and to show solidarity. Hed leave, then hed come back, Monte said. It really is that it was never spoken of they had an instinctive reaction to close up. He was known as the town bully, but they may be putting it mildly. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. He was shot at several times and hit twice, once by a centerfire rifle and once by a .22 rimfire rifle. Neither Baird nor MacLean, whose crime novel has been praised as an accurate account of McElroys killing, buy that. Ken Rex McElroy was a 6-foot, 270 pounds, dark-complexioned, blue-eyed man who lived in Skidmore, Missouri. The meeting's entire purpose was to discuss what they could legally do to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. The police chief who oversaw the investigation, Hal Riddle, disagrees. Sixteen days after Trena gave birth, both she and Alice fled to Trena's mother's and stepfather's house. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. But the silence of the townspeople held. Everyone just went home. Everyone in town seemed to know McElroy had done it, yet he spent only a single night in jail for nearly killing the man. Once, a farmer who caught Ken red-handed stealing two horses filed charges but withdrew them after McElroy smashed him across the face with a rifle., Police also felt McElroys ire. Bullet casings from two guns were found. He was as mean as he looked, but there was more to his baleful demeanor, said Colorado lawyer and author Harry MacLean, who lived with a prominent Skidmore farm family off and on for about five years while he researched In Broad Daylight, a New York Times bestseller chronicling McElroys life and death. Looking back, the justice system had as much to do with killing Ken McElroy as anyone in Skidmore did.. Investigators dug and dug, but Skidmore residents maintained their silence. Gene McFadin, McElroys nickel-slick lawyer from Kansas City could get Ken off every time, Kirby Goslee, a 71-year-old Skidmore farmer who still works the land his family homesteaded six generations ago, told Patch. He was arrested, booked, arraigned, and released on $2,500 bail. 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. And he has already asked the sheriffs office to re-examine some of the unsolved cases. An extensive federal investigation did not lead to any charges. 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. Murder is still murder. 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. Ken McElroy was born in 1934, one of 16 children, author Harry MacLean explains in his book In Broad Daylight, an account of the case. McElroy was hit twice and died. 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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. It was not the kind of justice they shouldve gotten, 60-year-old Joyce Monte, the Bowenkamps daughter, told Patch in a telephone interview from her home in Oklahoma. Despite three grand juries, no one has been indicted for the . Ken McElroy was shot to death on the main street of Skidmore in July 1981, in front of 45 witnesses. How is this man not in jail? Monte said, repeating the question asked by many when he showed up in Skidmore the morning after his release. Heavy lids veiled cold, steel-blue eyes, making them look like half moons. Author Harry MacLean wrote a book McElroys story called In Broad Daylight. McElroy was never a popular man. We didnt have sufficient evidence to go to trial.. He appeared in a local bar, the D&G Tavern, armed with an M1 Garand rifle and bayonet, and later threatened to kill Bowenkamp. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8iUdp33PqTsix2sGblEQZ8m5FQycC5D Vigilante justice, or. (Editors Note: Patch Deputy National Editor Beth Dalbey grew up on a farm about 10 miles from Skidmore, Missouri.). The rumor was that he had drowned her father in a bathtub when he had objected to what he was doing to his daughter. However, he was also charged with various crimes. His foot fell to the accelerator when he was shot, causing the engine to run at full bore. On July 8, 1980, McElroy drove to the alley behind the Bowenkamp general store. Harry MacLean, author of "In Broad Daylight". 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. Road signs bear a picture of a young man who disappeared nine years ago and is feared dead. 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. After dropping out of school in the eighth grade, it didnt take long for Ken McElroy to fall into a life of delinquency. 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. The town has seen more than its share of tragedy. There wasnt much parental supervision, but McElroy had a knack for taking care of himself. Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers. Instead, he continued to harass Bowenkamp. Why are you doing this? Reached by phone, Mr. McElroys wife, who has since remarried and left the state, said she was not interested in talking about the case. He met his last wife, Trena McCloud (19572012), when she was 12 years old and in eighth grade. It's said that the meeting adjourned, and the crowd quietly descended upon the tavern, flanking McElroy's truck. [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. June 16th, 1934: Ken Rex McElroy is born to Mabel and Tony McElroy, the thirteenth out of fourteen children. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. In Broad Daylight by Harry N. MacLean / Via. I heard shooting and got down. July 10th, 1981: The Townspeople gather in the Legion to discuss what should be done about Ken McElroy. 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. McFadin, McElroys lawyer, got the hearing postponed. Filmmaker Avi Belkin's 'No One Saw a Thing . It's hard to believe that this small town was once a bustlingcommunity. Retaliation would be severe. In the summer of 1981, a jury handed McElroy his first-ever felony conviction for the lesser charge of second-degree assault. But in a dramatic act of . *In Broad Daylight by Harry N. MacLean 1988. As his long tenure comes to an end questions about the lack of resolution in the murder case perhaps the most infamous in the area since Jesse James was shot nearby a century earlier continue to follow Mr. Baird. [6] Trena and her baby were placed in foster care at a home in Maryville, Missouri. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8iUdp33PqTsix2sGblEQZ8m5FQycC5D Vigilante justice, or cold-blooded murder?MERCH: We've got it! 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. 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. 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. The story of Ken Rex McElroy began on June 1, 1934. A federal grand jury was convened. 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. Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! June 25th, 1981: Ken McElroy is sentenced to two years in jail. If those responsible for killing McElroy are vigilantes, its because the justice system made them that way, Monte said. The townsfolk were infuriated. What started with hunting raccoons escalated into petty crime until McElroy ultimately emerged as a full-fledged criminal. Actually, I think those shooters saved lives in the end, she said. How could it? One night after he pulled a speeding pickup truck over, Boyer came face to face with McElroy. Despite being shot in broad daylight in front of various witnesses, the . When a court hearing was postponed, there was a meeting in town, with the mayor and the sheriff attending, to discuss Mr. McElroy. Mr. McElroy has been dead for almost three decades now, a round number that has residents here bracing for the next round of visits by reporters. Yet the identity of McElroys killer is a public secret Skidmore has kept for 38 years. They settle in Skidmore. When you didnt know where he was, you didnt dare take the chance of not being on your guard.. Shortly after, McElroy was arrested and charged with attempted murder. They delivered messages in code. McElroy was a big man with cold eyes who always carried a gun. 1948: Approximately the time when Ken begins his small thefts as a young teenager. No One Saw A Thing centers around the 1981 murder of Ken Rex McElroy in Skidmore Missouri and other crimes committed in the town and surrounding area over the years. 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. On July 9, 1984, Trena McElroy filed a $5 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Town of Skidmore, County of Nodaway, Sheriff Danny Estes, Steve Peters (Mayor of Skidmore), and Del Clement (whom Trena accused of being the shooter, but who was never charged). Police had charged him with various alleged crimes from stealing hogs to assault, but nothing stuck. 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. Genealogy profile for Ken Rex McElroy Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1982) - Genealogy Genealogy for Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1982) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. 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. 1, it is murder. 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. He went back home and was shot within a couple of days, explains Conger, editor of the Bethany Republican-Clipper. McElroy first began his relationship with McCloud when she was 14 and the two had a child shortly thereafter. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroys killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. This led to several patrons deciding to see what they could legally do to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. Mable was born on February 28 1897, in Dover, Shawnee County, KS, USA. McElroy was furious when he learned of the incident. We went to the police. September 2nd, 1982: Keven though there were over sixty witnesses, no one came forward to name the shooter. [9] McElroy was convicted at trial of assault, but freed on bail pending his appeal. But in a dramatic act of solidarity with the gunman, every witness, save the dead mans wife, denied seeing who had pulled the trigger. The trial collapsed yet all accounts are sceptical that the witnesses were telling the . Despite the efforts of police, prosecutors and McElroys family, no one has been charged in the murder. According to a report, no one called an ambulance. McElroy was in town and behaving belligerently. Weighing in at approximately 270 pounds with bushy black sideburns, McElroy held the entire . McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. 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. One of the people shot was a local farmer named Romaine Henry, who McElroy shot in the stomach for trying to chase him off of Henry's own land. McElroys wifewhom he victimized as a childremarried and moved to Lebanon, Missouri. McElroy burned down the girls home and shot her familys dog to force her parents to agree to the marriage. 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. 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.. Both Sally and Sharon begin having Ken's children. Trena jumped from the truck and a man helped her to safety. After the sheriff left town, the group walked from the hall and went down the street to the tavern. The towns local bar in Skidmore, Missouri. The mere mention of his surname was enough to cause anxiety, if not full terror. In what could only be described as vigilante justice, they conspired to kill Ken McElroy. There were as many as 60 witnesses, yet the crime remains unsolved. July 1981: During the 1st week of July it was announced that there would be a delay in McElroy's bond hearing. Luckily, Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was charged with attempted murder.