His last wife, Trena, became pregnant with their first child at age 14. McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill. In fact, anywhere between thirty and ninety people witnessed the . Missouri-based journalist Steve Booher described the attitude of some townspeople as, "He needed killing. 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. Three grand juries heard evidence. A memorial in the tiny downtown park displays the name of an expectant mother murdered six years ago, her fetus cut from her womb. 1, it is murder. Charismatic, with jet-black hair and piercing eyes, McElroy could sweet-talk his way around women and had been married three times by his early 40s. [3] McElroy was acquitted. 1948: Approximately the time when Ken begins his small thefts as a young teenager. McElroys wife named one person as a possible gunman, but no one couldor wouldidentify who fired the shots. But even after a federal prosecutor forwarded to Mr. Baird what he called substantial new evidence, no one was indicted. In 1981, McElroy was convicted of shooting . A museum dedicated to Skidmore, Mo., sits on Elm Street, the towns main drag. 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. 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. My experience is that trying a case is not always good at bringing closure, Mr. Baird said. He showed back up in front of their house that night, and he and Trena sat there and watched them, Monte said. The case inspired a book, In Broad Daylight by Harry McLean, and a 1991 TV movie of the same name starring Brian Dennehy. McElroy burned down the girls home and shot her familys dog to force her parents to agree to the marriage. McElroy was never a popular man. I had my service weapon drawn, and I wouldnt have been the least bit surprised if he tried to do something, Boyer recalls. The people of Skidmore were becoming more and more frustrated with the failures to protect them in the justice system. Author Harry MacLean wrote a book McElroys story called In Broad Daylight. Almost everyone, with the exception of Bo Bowenkamp, backed down. The grocer lived and McElroy was again arrested and charged with attempted murder. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. His father was a tenant farmer, his mother a housewife swamped with feeding and caring for the sprawling family. 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. In August of 1980, McElroy made attempts to intimidate the Bowenkamp family and their supporters to prevent them from testifying. July 10th, 1981: The townspeople gather around Ken's truck once he and Trena exit the bar. He was punctual, always said he didnt do it, paid in cash and kept coming back.. His attorney, Richard McFadin, said he routinely defended Ken McElroy in three or four felonies a year. BuzzFeed McElroy allegedly stole livestock, grain, gasoline,. Like so many other small towns, Skidmore has shrunk inside itself, watching businesses close and residents depart. 1969 or 1970: Ken McElroy becomes involved with a young girl named Trena McCloud. No one called for an ambulance. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. August 18th, 1980: Ken's preliminary trial begins. The son of a bitch would just as soon shoot them as anyone else.. They know how everybody thinks.. McElroy was a big man with cold eyes who always carried a gun. Local authorities, including a coroners jury and a local grand jury, and even the FBI, investigated the killing but to no avail. The justice system just crashed and burned over this case.. 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. 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.. I dont know what happened,' Boyer recalls witnesses saying. 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. McElroy was convicted of assault but let out of jail awaiting appeal. 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.. I didnt see anything. A federal grand jury was convened. June 12th, 1973: After continuing his involvement with Trena McCloud, Ken McElroy burns down Trena's parents' house. Allegedly, even the mayor was in on it. Just to be aware, he explained. 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. Neither Baird nor MacLean, whose crime novel has been praised as an accurate account of McElroys killing, buy that. A lot of them didnt even tell their wives and children. Alas, the victory was short-lived. He made no deathbed confession, but someone wrote in a memorial tribute that he . 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. They slept in shifts, with some friend or family member keeping an eye on the street. Bullet casings from two different guns were found. No one has been indicted for the murder of McElroy. Mable was born on February 28 1897, in Dover, Shawnee County, KS, USA. Never miss a story by signing up for the newsletter now. June 25th, 1981: McElroy returns to Skidmore out on bail until an appeal hearing. [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. Born in 1934, Ken Rex McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. The courts would not help us or Skidmore. [2][3] In 1981, McElroy was convicted of attempted murder in the shooting of the town's 70-year-old grocer Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp. Everyone claimed they didnt see who fired the shots. He torched the home and shot the dogagainafter the girl went into hiding with her and McElroys baby. He leaves Sharon to move in with Alice. The law had plenty of chances, plenty of times to lock him up., Added Monte: Justice failed everybody. Ken Rex McElroy was born on month day 1934, at birth place, Missouri, to Anthony Wyatt McElroy and Mable Marie McElroy (born Lister). SKIDMORE, Mo. Skidmore townsfolk may not all have liked how he was killed it was murder, after all but when he died, most of the towns 435 residents let out a heavy sigh of relief. October 20th, 1974: Ken McElroy marries Trena McCloud to get out of a statutory rape charge with Trena. And despite there being dozens of witnesses, no one has ever been arrested or charged in connection with McElroys murder. 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. Ken had 13 siblings: Hershell Eugene McElroy, Orvil O McElroy and 11 . [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. Mr. McElroy was quickly rearrested after he appeared in town with a rifle, but he was again released. 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. 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. This was something that the "town bully," Ken Rex McElroy, staunchly rebelled against. In the decades preceding his murder, McElroy terrorized the denizens of Skidmore. A few days later, a pickup truck showed up in the wee hours outside Boyers remote country house. July 1981: During the 1st week of July it was announced that there would be a delay in McElroy's bond hearing. They thought about his wife and his children, and where it left them particularly the children.. Get out of town, they said. The person(s) responsible for firing the shots that killed McElroy remains unsolved. 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 . But the silence of the townspeople held. 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. In all, McElroy was indicted 21 times and managed to escape conviction every time. Ken Rex McElroy sat in his truck for over an hour before the law was called. Some people have attributed his strange behavior with this event. They could finally sleep peacefully at night, especially Bo and Lois Bowenkamp and their children. In Broad Daylight: A Murder in Skidmore, Missouri. How could it? Tell us what you think in the comments below. The Vigilantemurder of Ken Rex McElroy still remains a mystery today. McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. Everyone just went home. It was so out of the blue, almost to the point of being surreal, said Monte, who occasionally worked in her parents store. 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. I said it in 1981, and Ill say it now, Baird told Patch. They just went stone silent. The meeting's entire purpose was to discuss what they could legally do to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. Carjackers Steal More Cars Many With Kids Still Inside, After Indulgent Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday Signals Abstinence, Fasting. He dropped out of school before he reached high school, and by 13 was already a familiar character to the cops around Nodaway County. SKIDMORE, Mo. McElroy's appeal hearing was again delayed. Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? The town has seen more than its share of tragedy. However, in 1981, Trena told People magazine that the fire was a result of "faulty wiring.". 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. The murder occurred in broad daylight, with as many as sixty eye-witnesses present . Dunbar talked to him, and [McElroy] pulled a gun on him, Monte said. 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. When word spread that McElroy was in town, a couple of the men walked from the Legion hall to the D&G. The verdict was second-degree assault and two years. To the residents of the small town, he was the town bully. This past weekend marked the 40th anniversary of the killing of Ken Rex McElroy of Skidmore. None of the witnesses called an ambulance or gave information about a shooter. Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! Vigilante justice is certainly a slippery slope, but after years of dealing with Ken McElroy, the people of Skidmore reached their boiling point. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro Ken Rex McElroy Jr. The Story Of Ken McElroy The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town. Trena McElroy remarried and had a fairly normal life, refusing interviews after she left Skidmore. Ken Rex McElroy 1934-1981. I dont believe youre coming nowafter we needed your help all this time.. Investigators dug and dug, but Skidmore residents maintained their silence. After the sheriff left town, the group walked from the hall and went down the street to the tavern. He begins to rant about how he is going to ruin Bo Bowenkamp. 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. McElroy was known to pay local kids for information about who was where in town at what time, so the Bowenkamps developed their own network of informants. Ken Rex McElroy was an illiterate hog farmer who lived on the outskirts of a small town in Northwest Missouri. 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. April 10th, 1972: After Alice runs away with their son, Ken McElroy gets into an altercation with Alice's stepfather and shoots him. Over the next two years, three grand juries were empaneled and testimony taken. It really is that it was never spoken of they had an instinctive reaction to close up. McElroy allegedly stole livestock, grain, gasoline, and antiques. The death of Ken Rex McElroy is a perplexing case that has hung heavy over the town of Skidmore, Missouri for decades. He divorces Oleta and marries Sharon to get out of a chargeof assault after shooting Sharon during an argument. McElroy was born in 1934, the fifteenth of sixteen children born to a poor . Not only that, they recommended he spend no more than two years in prison. 1960: Ken moves his young girlfriendSally into his house with Sharon. July 10th, 1981: The Townspeople gather in the Legion to discuss what should be done about Ken McElroy. [4], McElroy fathered more than 10 children with different women. [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. 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. As a result, he was arrested, but quickly released. Trena McElroy fingered a local rancher as one of the gunmen, but he denied the claim. 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. When he got off on a trial, it grew even bigger. As many as 60 Skidmore residents attended, including the mayor and the sheriff. 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. A reported crowd of up to 60 men had largely dispersed, but some onlookers remained, staring at the pickup. On July 8, 1980, McElroy drove to the alley behind the Bowenkamp general store. 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. Someone warned her, Youre about to meet Ken Rex McElroy, Monte said. In July 1976, McElroy pulled a shotgun on farmer Romaine Henry and shot the man in the stomach. [8] At the trial, two raccoon hunters testified they were with McElroy the day of the shooting away from Henry's property. Best client I ever had, McFadin said in an interview. The morning of July 10, 1981, a group of frustrated and angry men gathered at the Legion Hall in Skidmore, MacLean writes. Bullet casings from two guns were found. McElroy made a living leasing land near his farm, and trading and racing dogs. Looking back, the justice system had as much to do with killing Ken McElroy as anyone in Skidmore did.. 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. McElroy was in town and behaving belligerently. Ken is later charged and arrested. Dozens of them gathered at Skidmores American Legion hall on the morning of July 10, 1981. 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. There wasn't much parental supervision, but McElroy had a knack for taking care of himself. Nodaway County Sheriff Dan Estes suggested they form a neighborhood watch. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. The local major-cases squad investigated, then the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We went to the police. The town, on the other hand, hated him. Ken McElroy died in a hail of gunfire on the morning of July 10, 1981, while sitting in his truck outside a local tavern. On April 25, 1980 at Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp's general store, a clerk asked McElroy's 8-year-old daughter to return a piece of candy she had not paid for. He reportedly began stalking the Bowenkamp family. Born in 1934, Ken Rex McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. An extensive federal investigation did not lead to any charges. He was accused or suspected of dozens of crimes, including theft, livestock rustling, burglary, arson, assault, rape, and child molestation. He was nonplussed. Yet in a conspiracy of silence that has spanned the past 38 years, the townsfolk have held the secret close. RELATED: 10 Of The Best Docuseries You Should Be Watching Now Each episode is around 40 minutes each and contains dramatic and intimate . McElroy denied he was at the scene. 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). Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. Within hours, Mr. Baird heard that there had been a shooting downtown. He said that Mr. Baird pushed aggressively to bring a case to trial, but that investigators were never able to secure enough evidence to charge someone with a crime. Retribution was slow coming to Ken McElroybut lightning fast when it happened. It's worth noting that the abused defending their abuser often occurs in domestic violence cases. So what was left?. SKIDMORE, Mo. Boyer was out showing a trainee the ropes when he got the call of a shooting in Skidmore. 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. CHAPTER ONE. He was very cunning, MacLean told Patch. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. In the ensuing confrontation, McElroy shot Bowenkamp in the neck; Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was arrested and charged with attempted murder. . However, he was also charged with various crimes. 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. The noted sites in the story are gone or boardedup. 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. [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. The townspeople organized a caravan to escort the witnesses to the hearing both to protect them and to show solidarity. One assumption Skidmore hasnt been able to shed is that McElroys killing was an act of vigilante justice. What could legally be done about McElroy, they asked Sheriff Danny Estes, who had been elected months earlier. Again, there were no indictments, and the McElroy murder case was tossed back to Baird. Anticipating McElroys typical moves, Stratton waited on a back road near the Kansas border. 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. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. McElroy was also accused of abusing his first two wives, Sharon and Alice, but Alice defended him in an interview shortly after his death. He appeared in a local bar, the D&G Tavern, armed with an M1 Garand rifle and bayonet, and later threatened to kill Bowenkamp. Both Sally and Sharon begin having Ken's children. Full Worm Moon: Will Conditions Favor A Moonbow? As there were no witnesses, nobody was able to take the stand. The trial collapsed yet all accounts are sceptical that the witnesses were telling the . When a court hearing was postponed, there was a meeting in town, with the mayor and the sheriff attending, to discuss Mr. McElroy. The McElroys eventually left the store, but when Bowenkamp closed up that night, he was outside, waiting. When the shooting ended, McElroy was slumped over the steering wheel. 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. I didnt know what to do. Ken Rex McElroy was a 6-foot, 270 pounds, dark-complexioned, blue-eyed man who lived in Skidmore, Missouri. Worse felonies included assault and arson. It went beyond just hammering people and being mean-spirited. Maryville, Missouri, lawyer David Baird, the Nodaway County prosecutor at the time, said the crime is fairly unremarkable in the context of current-day gang shootings witnessed by many, but seen by few willing to risk their safety by ratting out the crew. As the case dragged on without a court date, Henry said McElroy had parked outside his home at least 100 times. He testified that Bowenkamp attacked him with a knife and he acted in self-defense, MacLean writes. 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. 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. 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. 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. It failed McElroy, too, because it failed to protect him from himself. The couple then moved to Colorado. He grew up hearing the story. Yet the identity of McElroys killer is a public secret Skidmore has kept for 38 years. A deer slug in one chamber tore through Bowenkamps neck, coming within 3 inches of his head. Despite being shot in broad daylight in front of various witnesses, the . Murder is still murder. McElroy first began his relationship with McCloud when she was 14 and the two had a child shortly thereafter. Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers. On July 10th, 1981 Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in the street in broad daylight infront of 60 witnesses. 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. But in a dramatic act of . 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. The police would not or could not help us or Skidmore. He quit.. Tucked away in the northwest corner of Missouri is a small, dusty town 46 miles north of St. Joseph with a decades-old secret. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 July 10, 1981) was an American criminal and convicted attempted murderer who resided in Skidmore, Missouri, United States. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. I have no doubt hed have tried to kill my mom. That was the last failure of criminal justice.. To the residents of the small town, he was the town bully. She was present at the time of his death. No. If they thought it was getting too out of hand, they would send one of us up and down the aisle. There were plenty of eyewitnesses, as well as the attack happened in broad daylight, therefore Refusing to argue, he and Lois went home. Hed leave, then hed come back, Monte said. [1] To date, no one has been charged in connection with McElroy's death. The Tylenol Murders: Is It Too Late to Solve the Famous Cold Case? In 2019, the McElroy killing was the subject of a docuseries on SundanceTV. A man who turned out to be McElroy pointed a shotgun at me, Margaret tells A&E True Crime. 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. This is far from what happened in the case of McElroy. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. His foot fell to the accelerator when he was shot, causing the engine to run at full bore. He was a goodhearted person. Of the most serious, McElroy was accused of child molestation and statutory rape. It was a matter of self-preservation. Biography Mini Bio (1) Ken Rex McElroy Jr. is known for No One Saw a Thing (2019).

Cracker Jack Prizes 1920s, Articles K