Tensions in Skidmore soared as McElroys trial neared. In Broad Daylight: A Murder in Skidmore, Missouri. He was indicted as many as 21 times, but escaped conviction all but once. It was also the first major case for a young county prosecutor, not far removed from law school and just months into the job, who said he was confident that the case would be solved soon. 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. The law had plenty of chances, plenty of times to lock him up., Added Monte: Justice failed everybody. McElroy sat outside the foster home for hours at a time staring at it. His father was a tenant farmer, his mother a housewife swamped with feeding and caring for the sprawling family. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! Within a few years, she had had four children by him. But the silence of the townspeople held. 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. Evelyn tried to explain what had happened, that nobody had accused the children of stealing, and Trena said, Why would my effing daughter lie? . Yet the identity of McElroys killer is a public secret Skidmore has kept for 38 years. Those in attendance felt the system had failed them, and it seemed like none of the authorities could stop McElroy. Boyer was among the first responders to arrive outside the D&G tavern where McElroy was ambushed. No one was charged, and the FBI closed the case. [1] To date, no one has been charged in connection with McElroy's death. It was a matter of self-preservation. None of the witnesses called an ambulance or gave information about a shooter. He reportedly began stalking the Bowenkamp family. He showed up to the towns local bar, armed with a rifle and bayonet, threatening to kill the elderly grocer. It was a sunny, clear summer day. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the strangest instances investigators ever saw. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. 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. Refusing to argue, he and Lois went home. 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. SKIDMORE, Mo. McCloud was McElroy's third "wife," though all unions were suspicious due to the fact that some of his marriages overlapped. Ken stalks the family afterwards, and on the 8th, Ken shoots Bo Bowenkamp. His hunch paid off, and McElroy found himself handcuffed and charged with assault. 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. However, in 1981, Trena told People magazine that the fire was a result of "faulty wiring.". The people of Skidmore were becoming more and more frustrated with the failures to protect them in the justice system. McElroy started his pickup and the sound of shots pierced the silence. He showed back up in front of their house that night, and he and Trena sat there and watched them, Monte said. Retribution was slow coming to Ken McElroybut lightning fast when it happened. Trena McElroy accused Skidmore residents of turning her husband into a scapegoat. It went beyond just hammering people and being mean-spirited. As he sat drinking at the bar, word got back to the men at the Legion Hall that he was in town. Consisting of around 440 residents and a number of small family-run businesses, the farming town revolved around work ethic. To the residents of the small town, he was the town bully. He was nonplussed. McFadin, McElroys lawyer, got the hearing postponed. He made no deathbed confession, but someone wrote in a memorial tribute that he . It cruised up the street, came back and just sat there for 20 seconds, says Boyer, adding he couldnt prove it was McElroy but waited behind a tree with his shotgun just in case. The murder of Ken Rex McElroy isn't 'unsolved' in the typical sense of the word. 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. 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.". [2], In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. He had been terrorizing Skidmore for years and he kept getting away with it. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroys killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. You just didnt do that.. Someone shot at McElroy while he was sitting in his truck. The morning of July 10, 1981, a group of frustrated and angry men gathered at the Legion Hall in Skidmore, MacLean writes. Despite being shot in broad daylight in front of various witnesses, the . The Story Of Ken McElroy The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town. Ken is later charged and arrested. McElroy burned down the girls home and shot her familys dog to force her parents to agree to the marriage. Author Harry MacLean wrote a book McElroys story called In Broad Daylight. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Richard McFadin, 87, a lawyer, now retired, who represented Mr. McElroy in numerous cases and, after the killing, his widow, said he believed there was enough evidence for a prosecution. She died in 2012. Once freed, McElroy didnt just quietly celebrate his victory. The couple then moved to Colorado. Buzzfeeds Unsolved Network produced a 24-minute true crime documentary on the shooting. Ken Rex McElroy was born on month day 1934, at birth place, Missouri, to Anthony Wyatt McElroy and Mable Marie McElroy (born Lister). The bar that provided the backdrop for the shooting is closed and for sale for $20,000. 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. He appeared in a local bar, the D&G Tavern, armed with an M1 Garand rifle and bayonet, and later threatened to kill Bowenkamp. [5] She became pregnant when she was fourteen, dropped out of school in the ninth grade, and went to live with McElroy and his second wife Alice. Vigilante justice is certainly a slippery slope, but after years of dealing with Ken McElroy, the people of Skidmore reached their boiling point. Tucked away in the northwest corner of Missouri is a small, dusty town 46 miles north of St. Joseph with a decades-old secret. Both Sally and Sharon begin having Ken's children. Some attributed his bizarre and violent behavior to a head injury suffered in this event. 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.. Ken Rex McElroy was an American known as "the town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri. Then you can read about chilling cold cases where the murderers and victims were both unknown. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. McElroy allegedly stole livestock, grain, gasoline, and antiques. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. Some people have attributed his strange behavior with this event. There has been books written, movies, documentaries and more made about the killing. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. 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. He was known as "the town bully",[1] and his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. 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. They were witnesses. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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. 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 was furious when he learned of the incident. One account even said that McElroy rode into town on a horse and was shot and killed, Baird, the former prosecutor, said. The Vigilantemurder of Ken Rex McElroy still remains a mystery today. He believes one of the gunmen was the suspect named by the widow. The witnesses all claimed they had seen nothing. 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. 1958: Ken McElroy becomes involved with a young woman named Sharon. 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. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. When talking about McElroy, MacLean wondered how he was able to be so crafty. July 10th, 1981: The Townspeople gather in the Legion to discuss what should be done about Ken McElroy. Five or six of us were standing in front of the Skidmore Caf, waiting and passing the time. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro Ken Rex McElroy Jr. The verdict was second-degree assault and two years. They settle in Skidmore. Henry survived and McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. After McElroy fired a gun outside her house, Evelyn Sumy appealed to Dave Dunbar, the town marshal. July 1981: During the 1st week of July it was announced that there would be a delay in McElroy's bond hearing. Once, he even got out and fired a shotgun up in the pine tree by their house. He raped McCloud repeatedly. 1954: While working for his sister's husband in construction, McElroy suffers a traumatic head injury that leaves him with lifelong pain. Ken Rex McElroy, a notoriously brutal man who had terrorized Skidmore, Mo., for years, was killed in 1981. Hed help anyone that needed to be helped, she said in an interview recounted in In Broad Daylight. There is pretty much nothing in existence that was not stolen by McElroy during his 47 years. Everyone in town seemed to know McElroy had done it, yet he spent only a single night in jail for nearly killing the man. Were the citizens justified in taking matters into their own hands? Ken Rex McElroy was an American known as "the town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. [9] McElroy was convicted at trial of assault, but freed on bail pending his appeal. An extensive federal investigation did not lead to any charges. 1 or 2 men (unclear) took guns and shot Ken Rex McElroy dead in his truck. What happened in Skidmore that day wasnt much different than the completely predictable result from shaking a carbonated beverage until the top finally blows. I heard shooting and got down. But Ken rarely had to wrestle with the Local authorities, including a coroners jury and a local grand jury, and even the FBI, investigated the killing but to no avail. Boyer was taking trajectory measurements at the crime scene when a town official chided him. Someone warned her, Youre about to meet Ken Rex McElroy, Monte said. Shortly after being released, McElroy was at D&G Tavern making threats about murdering Bowenkamp. Part of his teeth were lying on the dashboard, Boyer recalls. Yet in a conspiracy of silence that has spanned the past 38 years, the townsfolk have held the secret close. He was accused or suspected of dozens of crimes, including theft, livestock rustling, burglary, arson, assault, rape, and child molestation. McElroy was eventually convicted, but the charge was lessened from "attempt to kill" to "knowingly caused serious physical injury" to ensure a conviction. 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 . Reached by phone, Mr. McElroys wife, who has since remarried and left the state, said she was not interested in talking about the case. And its likely to stay that way. He was known as the town bully, but they may be putting it mildly. 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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. You dont have a town full of people who were hiding a guilty conscience, he said. He would intimidate anyone who got in his way, usually by repeatedly harassing them or threatening them with a bullet. 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. In fact, anywhere between thirty and ninety people witnessed the . Town Mute for 30 Years About a Bullys Killing, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/us/16bully.html. Anyone can read what you share. 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. The courts would not help us or Skidmore. 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. I had my service weapon drawn, and I wouldnt have been the least bit surprised if he tried to do something, Boyer recalls. "[13], McElroy was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Joseph, Missouri. After Sally had had three kids, Ken kicks her out of the house. SKIDMORE, MO Four decades after Ken Rex McElroy was gunned down on the main drag of Skidmore, Missouri, in one of Americas most infamous cold cases, the story of the notoriously brutal town bully has refused to die with him no matter how much the farmers and blue-collar workers who live in the small farming town wish it would. Boyer was out showing a trainee the ropes when he got the call of a shooting in Skidmore. MacLean doesnt believe the men gathered at the Legion hall that morning ever made a group decision to kill McElroy. McElroy began backing out too, then tailed Margaret until she radioed Richard and squad cars showed up. Shortly after, 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. 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. 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. The murder occurred in broad daylight, with as many as sixty eye-witnesses present . He divorces Oleta and marries Sharon to get out of a chargeof assault after shooting Sharon during an argument. Just to be aware, he explained. All Rights Reserved. If you were to go to Skidmore today, there isn't much to see. 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. He put those skills to work rustling hogs and cattle, MacLean recounts. No one was surprised. Why are you doing this? Mable was born on February 28 1897, in Dover, Shawnee County, KS, USA. On July 8, 1980, McElroy drove to the alley behind the Bowenkamp general store. McElroy was also accused of abusing his first two wives, Sharon and Alice, but Alice defended him in an interview shortly after his death. When you didnt know where he was, you didnt dare take the chance of not being on your guard.. He leaves Sharon to move in with Alice. The last three decades have been tough on this agricultural community of 342, about an hour and a half north of Kansas City. [1][3] The next day, McElroy was shot to death in broad daylight as he sat with his wife Trena in his pickup truck on Skidmore's main street. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in Skidmore, Missouri on July 10, 1981. Filmmaker Avi Belkin's 'No One Saw a Thing . According to court records, McElroy tracked them down and brought them back. This is far from what happened in the case of McElroy. The sheriff suggested they form a neighborhood watch and advised the group not to confront the man. September 2nd, 1982: Keven though there were over sixty witnesses, no one came forward to name the shooter. There just wouldnt have been a story.. There has been books written, movies, documentaries and more made about the killing. 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. The town got away with murder, Mr. McFadin said. But in a dramatic act of solidarity with the gunman, every witness, save the dead mans wife, denied seeing who had pulled the trigger. More awful crimes have taken place in the small town. Allegedly, even the mayor was in on it. Alas, the victory was short-lived. 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. That was the last failure of criminal justice.. A museum dedicated to Skidmore, Mo., sits on Elm Street, the towns main drag. Known as 'the town bully', his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention.