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Missouri-based journalist Steve Booher described the attitude of some townspeople as, "He needed killing. The trial collapsed yet all accounts are sceptical that the witnesses were telling the . Sixteen days after Trena gave birth, both she and Alice fled to Trena's mother's and stepfather's house. I heard shooting and got down. Instead, he continued to harass Bowenkamp. McCloud was McElroy's third "wife," though all unions were suspicious due to the fact that some of his marriages overlapped. My experience is that trying a case is not always good at bringing closure, Mr. Baird said. Despite three grand juries, no one has been indicted for the . Hed leave, then hed come back, Monte said. 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. Once there, he threatened Bo, and shot him in the neck at close range with a shotgun. Im never going to answer that question. [Stream episodes of Accused: Guilty or Innocent? When word spread that McElroy was in town, a couple of the men walked from the Legion hall to the D&G. 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. Our law enforcement never went after him very hard, he said. That was the last failure of criminal justice.. He was hit twice and died in his truck. There wasnt much parental supervision, but McElroy had a knack for taking care of himself. 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. They sacrificed one for the betterment of hundreds. Like so many other small towns, Skidmore has shrunk inside itself, watching businesses close and residents depart. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. The people of the town keep their heads down and prefer to not speak about the incident. They know how everybody thinks.. 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. September 2nd, 1982: Keven though there were over sixty witnesses, no one came forward to name the shooter. Perversely, the towns share of tragedy has grown. In all, McElroy was indicted 21 times and managed to escape conviction every time. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. 1. 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. This led to several patrons deciding to see what they could legally do to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. McElroys wife named one person as a possible gunman, but no one couldor wouldidentify who fired the shots. She eventually filed a wrongful death against the town, the county, and some citizens but the matter was settled out of court. The murder took place on July 10, 1981, the day after McElroy had threatened Bowenkamp at the tavern. In Broad Daylight by Harry N. MacLean / Via. For over twenty years he raped, robbed and burned almost at will. A trial took place the following year and for the first time ever, Ken McElroy was convicted. A couple of men hustled Trena to a nearby bank, away from the gunfire. McElroy for the most part escaped prosecution and, certainly, conviction for various crimes. To the residents of the small town, he was the town bully. 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. He never finished high school but knew how to hunt, drive fast and navigate the back roads of Nodaway County by his early teens. The Tylenol Murders: Is It Too Late to Solve the Famous Cold Case? Farmers carried them to kill varmints, or for hunting displaying them in plain sight in rear window gun racks. I didnt know what to do. He divorces Oleta and marries Sharon to get out of a chargeof assault after shooting Sharon during an argument. 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. 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.. [6], Based on Trena's story, McElroy was indicted in June 1973 for arson, assault, and statutory rape. Carjackers Steal More Cars Many With Kids Still Inside, After Indulgent Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday Signals Abstinence, Fasting. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. 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. Tell us what you think in the comments below. Road signs bear a picture of a young man who disappeared nine years ago and is feared dead. Full Worm Moon: Will Conditions Favor A Moonbow? There has been books written, movies, documentaries and more made about the killing. He was sure it was Mr. McElroy who had done the shooting. What could legally be done about McElroy, they asked Sheriff Danny Estes, who had been elected months earlier. 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. Despite being shot in broad daylight in front of various witnesses, the . 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. 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 last three decades have been tough on this agricultural community of 342, about an hour and a half north of Kansas City. Obsessed with travel? Somebody would hear his name, and the legend grew bigger. It went beyond just hammering people and being mean-spirited. Almost everyone, with the exception of Bo Bowenkamp, backed down. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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. Everyone in town seemed to know McElroy had done it, yet he spent only a single night in jail for nearly killing the man. A few days later, a pickup truck showed up in the wee hours outside Boyers remote country house. Of the potential 40 or so witnesses, with the exception of Trena, none could name a shooter. A man who turned out to be McElroy pointed a shotgun at me, Margaret tells A&E True Crime. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. He raped McCloud repeatedly. 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. The murder occurred in broad daylight, with as many as sixty eye-witnesses present . Ken McElroy died in a hail of gunfire on the morning of July 10, 1981, while sitting in his truck outside a local tavern. Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. He was punctual, always said he didnt do it, paid in cash and kept coming back.. When a court hearing was postponed, there was a meeting in town, with the mayor and the sheriff attending, to discuss Mr. McElroy. Its been over 30 years. 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. But justice is a loaded term in a case that challenges the usual assumptions of victim and perpetrator. Ken McElroy died in a hail of gunfire on the morning of July 10, 1981, while sitting in his truck outside a local tavern. Yet in a conspiracy of silence that has spanned the past 38 years, the townsfolk have held the secret close. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Win a Midday Makeover from Studio STL and West County, Hold my beer its time to sign up for the St. Patricks, Tims Travels: Dreaming in silestone and slabs its, Downtown is turning green for St. Patricks Day Parade, The 7brew Crew brings kindness, joy and of course,, Freshen up finds: Give your skin a slug-hug, What the Cluck! His hunch paid off, and McElroy found himself handcuffed and charged with assault. He was charged with wading through the sensational details and moral ambiguities of the case to ensure that, in his words, justice was served. Just to be aware, he explained. A memorial in the tiny downtown park displays the name of an expectant mother murdered six years ago, her fetus cut from her womb. 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. Someone warned her, Youre about to meet Ken Rex McElroy, Monte said. Ken Rex McElroy, a notoriously brutal man who had terrorized Skidmore, Mo., for years, was killed in 1981. During the meeting, McElroy arrived at the D&G Tavern with Trena. [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. RELATED: 10 Of The Best Docuseries You Should Be Watching Now Each episode is around 40 minutes each and contains dramatic and intimate . Actually, I think those shooters saved lives in the end, she said. You just didnt do that.. He told the foster family that he would trade "girl for girl" to get his child back, since he knew where the foster family's biological daughter went to school and what bus route she rode. He had been terrorizing Skidmore for years and he kept getting away with it. More awful crimes have taken place in the small town. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. One of the killers has died. Dec. 15, 2010. A&E, Rolling Stone, Playboy, 60 Minutes, and other media outlets covered the story in print or television. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 - July 10, 1981) was a resident of Skidmore, Nodaway County, Missouri. You dont take cases to trial to see what might happen, the former prosecutor said. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroy's killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. April 10th, 1972: After Alice runs away with their son, Ken McElroy gets into an altercation with Alice's stepfather and shoots him. June 16th, 1934: Ken Rex McElroy is born to Mabel and Tony McElroy, the thirteenth out of fourteen children. I have no doubt hed have tried to kill my mom. What set off McElroy and put the local grocer in his crosshairs was the pettiest of offenses. Never miss a story by signing up for the newsletter now. McElroy denied he was at the scene. Nobody wanted to talk to us, retired Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Boyer tells A&E True Crime. It was a matter of self-preservation. June 16th, 1934: Ken Rex McElroy is born to Mabel and Tony McElroy, the thirteenth out of fourteen children. Meanwhile, McElroy and his wife arrived at the D&G Tavern for a morning drink. McElroy began backing out too, then tailed Margaret until she radioed Richard and squad cars showed up. But even after a federal prosecutor forwarded to Mr. Baird what he called substantial new evidence, no one was indicted. We stood up and did the right thing. McElroy was a big man with cold eyes who always carried a gun. McElroy started his pickup and the sound of shots pierced the silence. 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. There's a long list of crimes said to have been committed by McElroy, including shooting multiple people. After McElroy fired a gun outside her house, Evelyn Sumy appealed to Dave Dunbar, the town marshal. 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. McElroy wound up shooting Bowenkamp in the neck, nearly killing him. McElroy was convicted of assault but let out of jail awaiting appeal. 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. 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. Ken Rex McElroy was a 6-foot, 270 pounds, dark-complexioned, blue-eyed man who lived in Skidmore, Missouri. However, when the matter came to trial, McElroys attorney produced a pair of witnesses who testified they were hunting with McElroy that day and he was nowhere near the scene of the shooting. I got in the car and was shaking so bad.. He was known as the town bully, but they may be putting it mildly. Heavy lids veiled cold, steel-blue eyes, making them look like half moons. April 25th, 1980: A few of Ken's children go to the local grocery store and is accused of stealing by Mrs. Bowenkamp. 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. 1954: While working for his sister's husband in construction, McElroy suffers a traumatic head injury that leaves him with lifelong pain. The witnesses all claimed they had seen nothing. The case was later settled out of court by all parties for $17,600, with no one admitting guilt, for the stated reason of avoiding costly legal fees should the suit proceed. When Estes and state troopers arrived back in town, the streets were empty and quiet, save the rumbling, smoking engine of McElroys truck. 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. [4], McElroy fathered more than 10 children with different women. He believes one of the gunmen was the suspect named by the widow. And despite there being dozens of witnesses, no one has ever been arrested or charged in connection with McElroys murder. The guns were never recovered. Sheriff Estes instructed the assembled group not to get into a direct confrontation with McElroy, but instead seriously consider forming a neighborhood watch program. All Rights Reserved. She died in 2012. 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. Within a few years, she had had four children by him. However, an incident would occur in 1980 that changed everything. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. McElroy was found not guilty. The clerk, Evelyn Sumy, was at the back of the store when the doors swung open. It failed McElroy, too, because it failed to protect him from himself. Henry survived and McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill. If you were to go to Skidmore today, there isn't much to see. 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. (Editors Note: Patch Deputy National Editor Beth Dalbey grew up on a farm about 10 miles from Skidmore, Missouri.). 1948: Approximately the time when Ken begins his small thefts as a young teenager. In August of 1980, McElroy made attempts to intimidate the Bowenkamp family and their supporters to prevent them from testifying. I dont believe youre coming nowafter we needed your help all this time.. But if tried by a jury of their peers, I doubt anybody around here would have convicted the shooters. The case inspired a book, In Broad Daylight by Harry McLean, and a 1991 TV movie of the same name starring Brian Dennehy. He begins to rant about how he is going to ruin Bo Bowenkamp. SKIDMORE, Mo. He went about making public threats against the grocer while armed with a rifle. As a result, he was arrested, but quickly released. 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.". No. July 10th, 1981: The townspeople gather around Ken's truck once he and Trena exit the bar. Once freed, McElroy didnt just quietly celebrate his victory. McElroy burned down the girls home and shot her familys dog to force her parents to agree to the marriage. 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. Dozens of them gathered at Skidmores American Legion hall on the morning of July 10, 1981. They thought about his wife and his children, and where it left them particularly the children.. Yet the identity of McElroys killer is a public secret Skidmore has kept for 38 years. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8iUdp33PqTsix2sGblEQZ8m5FQycC5D Vigilante justice, or cold-blooded murder?MERCH: We've got it! No one called for an ambulance. They could finally sleep peacefully at night, especially Bo and Lois Bowenkamp and their children. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. Yes, its against the law, but you know, the law is not the final definitive word on him. I had my service weapon drawn, and I wouldnt have been the least bit surprised if he tried to do something, Boyer recalls. The story of Ken Rex McElroy began on June 1, 1934. He appeared in a local bar, the D&G Tavern, armed with an M1 Garand rifle and bayonet, and later threatened to kill Bowenkamp. There was a kind of silent charity on the part of my parents, and they never prosecuted. October 20th, 1974: Ken McElroy marries Trena McCloud to get out of a statutory rape charge with Trena. Shortly after, Strattons wife Margaret was headed to church when she saw a strange truck in the driveway. What started with hunting raccoons escalated into petty crime until McElroy ultimately emerged as a full-fledged criminal. 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. In the decades preceding his murder, McElroy terrorized the denizens of Skidmore. The sheriff suggested they form a neighborhood watch and advised the group not to confront the man. When the call went out, State Police Cpl. 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. The bar that provided the backdrop for the shooting is closed and for sale for $20,000. In the ensuing confrontation, McElroy shot Bowenkamp in the neck; Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was arrested and charged with attempted murder. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the strangest instances investigators ever saw. If those responsible for killing McElroy are vigilantes, its because the justice system made them that way, Monte said. 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. Ken stalks the family afterwards, and on the 8th, Ken shoots Bo Bowenkamp. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 - July 10, 1981) was an American criminal and convicted attempted murderer who resided in Skidmore, Missouri, United States. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. This was something that the "town bully," Ken Rex McElroy, staunchly rebelled against. 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. 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. Women had a harder time with it than the men. 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. On July 8, 1980, McElroy drove to the alley behind the Bowenkamp general store. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. McElroys wife was not injured and escaped the vehicle. August 18th, 1980: Ken's preliminary trial begins. 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. An extensive federal investigation did not lead to any charges. The son of a bitch would just as soon shoot them as anyone else.. I didnt see anything. He was accused or suspected of dozens of crimes, including theft, livestock rustling, burglary, arson, assault, rape, and child molestation. 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 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 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 rumor was that he had drowned her father in a bathtub when he had objected to what he was doing to his daughter. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 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. Everyone just went home. Reached by phone, Mr. McElroys wife, who has since remarried and left the state, said she was not interested in talking about the case. In Broad Daylight: A Murder in Skidmore, Missouri. Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers. One night after he pulled a speeding pickup truck over, Boyer came face to face with McElroy. The larger-than-life bully who menaced the farming community of Skidmore died in seconds. He then returned to Trena's parents' home when they were away and, once again, shot the family dog and burned the house down. McElroy was born in 1934, the fifteenth of sixteen children born to a poor . 1958: Ken McElroy becomes involved with a young woman named Sharon. But the silence of the townspeople held. Luckily, Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was charged with attempted murder. June 25th, 1981: Ken McElroy is sentenced to two years in jail. Its never going to happen.. It really is that it was never spoken of they had an instinctive reaction to close up. The townspeople organized a caravan to escort the witnesses to the hearing both to protect them and to show solidarity. June 12th, 1973: After continuing his involvement with Trena McCloud, Ken McElroy burns down Trena's parents' house. McElroy divorced Alice and married Trena in order to escape charges of statutory rape, to which she was the only witness. [10] No one called for an ambulance. The bar soon filled completely. Witnessing the murder were McElroys wife, Trena, screaming in the passenger seat and dozens of local residents. Buzzfeeds Unsolved Network produced a 24-minute true crime documentary on the shooting. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8iUdp33PqTsix2sGblEQZ8m5FQycC5D Vigilante justice, or. There were plenty of eyewitnesses, as well as the attack happened in broad daylight, therefore You know what he was like. 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. Boyer was out showing a trainee the ropes when he got the call of a shooting in Skidmore. He found a macabre scene. Estes then drove out of town in his police cruiser. It's said the county's law enforcement officials were afraid of encountering McElroy, who was known to be heavily armed. Theoretically, [the murder] could be re-investigated, veteran Kansas City criminal defense attorney J.R. Hobbs tells A&E True Crime. Someone shot at McElroy while he was sitting in his truck. We went to the police. He met his last wife, Trena McCloud (19572012), when she was 12 years old and in eighth grade. Alas, the victory was short-lived. July 1981: During the 1st week of July it was announced that there would be a delay in McElroy's bond hearing. They settle in Skidmore. Ken McElroy issues threats against the Bowenkamp family. Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? . The town got away with murder, Mr. McFadin said. 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.

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