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. Reached by phone, Mr. McElroys wife, who has since remarried and left the state, said she was not interested in talking about the case. Despite three grand juries, no one has been indicted for the . More awful crimes have taken place in the small town. His successor, Robert Rice, already knew how Mr. McElroy died. The law had plenty of chances, plenty of times to lock him up., Added Monte: Justice failed everybody. Theoretically, [the murder] could be re-investigated, veteran Kansas City criminal defense attorney J.R. Hobbs tells A&E True Crime. They thought about his wife and his children, and where it left them particularly the children.. On July 8, 1980, McElroy drove to the alley behind the Bowenkamp general store. A lot of them didnt even tell their wives and children. I didnt know what to do. 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[2][3] In 1981, McElroy was convicted of attempted murder in the shooting of the town's 70-year-old grocer Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp. It's said the county's law enforcement officials were afraid of encountering McElroy, who was known to be heavily armed. Despite being shot in broad daylight in front of various witnesses, the . 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. He left town just as Ken and Trena McElroy were driving in, likely passing McElroys Chevrolet Silverado pickup in his cruiser on the road. Absolutely not, he said. [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. 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 was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. 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. 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. The group heard McElroy and Trena McCloud were spotted heading to the tavern nearby. The townsfolk were infuriated. This was something that the "town bully," Ken Rex McElroy, staunchly rebelled against. 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. Anyone can read what you share. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the strangest instances investigators ever saw. April 25th, 1980: A few of Ken's children go to the local grocery store and is accused of stealing by Mrs. Bowenkamp. When Estes and state troopers arrived back in town, the streets were empty and quiet, save the rumbling, smoking engine of McElroys truck. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Henry survived and McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill. McElroy would just sit and glower at you just stare at you and youd never know what he was thinking.. I dont know what happened,' Boyer recalls witnesses saying. How could it? Ken Rex McElroy Jr. - Biography - IMDb Edit Ken Rex McElroy Jr. 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. In the months before McElroy went to trial, the Bowenkamps and Sumy went to bed scared, woke up frightened and lived in terror with every breath. Now, nearly 30 years later, that prosecutor, David A. Baird, is preparing to leave office with his first and most famous case still unsolved. And his deeds were as daunting as his appearance. The trial collapsed yet all accounts are sceptical that the witnesses were telling the . This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Stratton knew McElroy from a previous stop when he threatened the trooper with a shotgun. For over twenty years he raped, robbed and burned almost at will. If you were to go to Skidmore today, there isn't much to see. Nodaway County Sheriff Dan Estes suggested they form a neighborhood watch. The sheriff said, If you have to shoot him, let us know and well come get him before he starts stinking, Monte said. THE KILLING OF KEN REX MCELROY THIRTY YEARS LATER. Harry MacLean, author of "In Broad Daylight". The case inspired a book, In Broad Daylight by Harry McLean, and a 1991 TV movie of the same name starring Brian Dennehy. Refusing to argue, he and Lois went home. Few were criticized as mightily as Baird over the lack of prosecution in McElroys murder. An extensive federal investigation did not lead to any charges. In April 1980, Trena McElroy told her husband a clerk in the Bowenkamps store had accused their 4-year-old daughter of stealing penny candy. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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. Tucked away in the northwest corner of Missouri is a small, dusty town 46 miles north of St. Joseph with a decades-old secret. 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. 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. The person(s) responsible for firing the shots that killed McElroy remains unsolved. He said he was not at all disappointed to leave office with the case still unsolved. The noted sites in the story are gone or boardedup. No. Only July 10, 1981, there was a meeting at the town hall, down the street from D&G Tavern. June 16th, 1934: Ken Rex McElroy is born to Mabel and Tony McElroy, the thirteenth out of fourteen children. A few days later, a pickup truck showed up in the wee hours outside Boyers remote country house. McElory was struck by two different firearms and died behind the wheel of his truck. McElroy wound up shooting Bowenkamp in the neck, nearly killing him. He met his last wife, Trena McCloud (19572012), when she was 12 years old and in eighth grade. Allegedly, even the mayor was in on it. 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. It was hours before he learned that it was Mr. McElroy who had been shot, sitting in the front seat of his pickup truck alongside his wife, after picking up some beer at the town bar. It was a matter of self-preservation. McElroy was hit twice and died. Women had a harder time with it than the men. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. McElroys wife named one person as a possible gunman, but no one couldor wouldidentify who fired the shots. As he packed up his office last week, he gave his successor a memo that listed a dozen or so unsolved cases in Nodaway County including, down toward the end, the killing of Mr. McElroy. One of the killers has died. After Sally had had three kids, Ken kicks her out of the house. Two people decided in the midst of that whole incident theyd had enough, MacLean said. The man identified by the widow as the main gunman recently died, something Mr. Baird raised in suggesting that the case may never be reopened. MacLean doesnt believe the men gathered at the Legion hall that morning ever made a group decision to kill McElroy. A museum dedicated to Skidmore, Mo., sits on Elm Street, the towns main drag. They know how everybody thinks.. When a court hearing was postponed, there was a meeting in town, with the mayor and the sheriff attending, to discuss Mr. McElroy. He was punctual, always said he didnt do it, paid in cash and kept coming back.. 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. But not that one. 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. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. In the ensuing confrontation, McElroy shot Bowenkamp in the neck; Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Why are you doing this? Luckily, Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was charged with attempted murder. Local police, state investigators and FBI agents tried to break the towns silence, without success. Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! McElroy was eventually convicted, but the charge was lessened from "attempt to kill" to "knowingly caused serious physical injury" to ensure a conviction. The Vigilantemurder of Ken Rex McElroy still remains a mystery today. Everyone claimed they didnt see who fired the shots. CHAPTER ONE. [6] Trena and her baby were placed in foster care at a home in Maryville, Missouri. Evelyn tried to explain what had happened, that nobody had accused the children of stealing, and Trena said, Why would my effing daughter lie? . April 10th, 1972: After Alice runs away with their son, Ken McElroy gets into an altercation with Alice's stepfather and shoots him. 1958: Ken McElroy becomes involved with a young woman named Sharon. During the meeting, McElroy arrived at the D&G Tavern with Trena. He was known as "the town bully",[1] and his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. 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. Weighing in at approximately 270 pounds with bushy black sideburns, McElroy held the entire . They delivered messages in code. 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. His father was a tenant farmer, his mother a housewife swamped with feeding and caring for the sprawling family. The mere mention of his surname was enough to cause anxiety, if not full terror. McElroy was in town and behaving belligerently. However, in 1981, Trena told People magazine that the fire was a result of "faulty wiring.". This is far from what happened in the case of McElroy. McElroy was never a popular man. The town, on the other hand, hated him. 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 . He was sure it was Mr. McElroy who had done the shooting. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Here are 13 things you need to know about Ken McElroy and his death before you tune into No One Saw A Thing, premiering this Thursday, Aug. 1, pulled from sources including Harry MacLean,. The Mirny Diamond Mine Might Be The Most Mysterious Hole Ever, The Story Of Alain Lamare The Cop Who Moonlit As The Murderer He Was Trying To Catch, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Perversely, the towns share of tragedy has grown. It was a sunny, clear summer day. Some of these things are simply assumed to be factual, Baird said. His eyes just really put you in defense modehe really looked like a mean person.. They settle in Skidmore. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. In what could only be described as vigilante justice, they conspired to kill Ken McElroy. You dont take cases to trial to see what might happen, the former prosecutor said. We went to the police. He was nonplussed. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. In the plainspoken manner of speaking in Skidmore, McElroy simply needed killing, like a gangrened leg needs to be severed to save the whole body. He made no deathbed confession, but someone wrote in a memorial tribute that he . As a result, he was arrested, but quickly released. No one was charged, and the FBI closed the case. Murder is still murder. The meeting's entire purpose was to discuss what they could legally do to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. 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. [9] McElroy was convicted at trial of assault, but freed on bail pending his appeal. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. After dropping out of school in the eighth grade, it didn't take long for Ken McElroy to fall into a life of delinquency. It was so out of the blue, almost to the point of being surreal, said Monte, who occasionally worked in her parents store. Everyone just went home. [10] No one called for an ambulance. When word spread that McElroy was in town, a couple of the men walked from the Legion hall to the D&G. There has been books written, movies, documentaries and more made about the killing. Nobody wanted to talk to us, retired Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Boyer tells A&E True Crime. He leaves Sharon to move in with Alice. Ken Rex Melroy was born on June 1st, 1934 to a family of poor tenant farmers who moved to Skidmore. E-mail: ramzywritersofficial@gmail.com. Ken Rex McElroy was an American known as "the town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri. However, he was also charged with various crimes. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. Ken McElroy died in a hail of gunfire on the morning of July 10, 1981, while sitting in his truck outside a local tavern. A writer and storyteller out in the world to write about True-Crime and History. The DA declined to press charges and the following investigation proved to be futile. What could legally be done about McElroy, they asked Sheriff Danny Estes, who had been elected months earlier. The police would not or could not help us or Skidmore. He appeared in a local bar, the D&G Tavern, armed with an M1 Garand rifle and bayonet, and later threatened to kill Bowenkamp. She took her complaint to at-the-time Nodaway County Sheriff Roger Cronk. Retribution was slow coming to Ken McElroybut lightning fast when it happened. I got in the car and was shaking so bad.. The townspeople organized a caravan to escort the witnesses to the hearing both to protect them and to show solidarity. He then returned to Trena's parents' home when they were away and, once again, shot the family dog and burned the house down. How to get started raising backyard, Missouri killer: DNA evidence helps solve 1956 cold-case, McElroy terrorized the denizens of Skidmore, Pam Hupp charged with murder of Betsy Faria; prosecutor seeking death penalty, the group walked from the hall and went down the street to the tavern, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, Great weekend weather, just watch rising river levels, The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is in St. Charles this, Rally to support Kim Gardner in St. Louis today, STL Co. stakeholders look for juvenile crime solutions, STL County school district still recovering from, Block party kicks off history making weekend for, Woman shot in St. Peters Schnucks parking lot, Mo lawmakers back ban on Chinese ownership of land, Lawsuit: Muslims praying at Missouri prison pepper-sprayed, Local organization hosts fundraiser for Janae Edmondson, Heavy rain, wind slam St. Louis region on Friday, Man shot and killed on his front porch in Illinois, TSA at Lambert warns travelers about flights ahead, Check out these new must-see Missouri attractions. He put those skills to work rustling hogs and cattle, MacLean recounts. The noted sites in the story are gone or boardedup. McElroys rear window was shot out and the front window as well. Almost everyone, with the exception of Bo Bowenkamp, backed down. He found a macabre scene. There were plenty of eyewitnesses, as well as the attack happened in broad daylight, therefore July 10th, 1981: The townspeople gather around Ken's truck once he and Trena exit the bar. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. Calling the sheriff about his threats was risk few were willing to take not that it would have done much good, Goslee said. 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. 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. It's hard to believe that this small town was once a bustlingcommunity. [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. McElroy was hit twice by two different guns and died from injuries to his head and neck. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Trena dove from the truck and was taken to safety. Ken McElroy died in a hail of gunfire on the morning of July 10, 1981, while sitting in his truck outside a local tavern. 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. The story was thrust back to the forefront this month by No One Saw a Thing, a six-part Sundance TV docu-series exploring the moral ambiguity of frontier justice and the unspoken, yet universally intriguing, question: When, if ever, does someone like McElroy deserve to die? There wasnt much parental supervision, but McElroy had a knack for taking care of himself. The justice system just crashed and burned over this case.. 1 or 2 men (unclear) took guns and shot Ken Rex McElroy dead in his truck. The meeting broke up after participants learned McElroy and Trena were at the D&G Tavern. Tensions in Skidmore soared as McElroys trial neared. [3] McElroy was acquitted. Ken stalks the family afterwards, and on the 8th, Ken shoots Bo Bowenkamp. McElroy made a living leasing land near his farm, and trading and racing dogs. He grew up hearing the story. Everyone was keeping an eye on us. He was known as "the town bully", [1] and his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. 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. We didnt have sufficient evidence to go to trial.. McElroy started his pickup and the sound of shots pierced the silence. A trial took place the following year and for the first time ever, Ken McElroy was convicted. 1960: Ken moves his young girlfriendSally into his house with Sharon. When you didnt know where he was, you didnt dare take the chance of not being on your guard.. We stood up and did the right thing. Sheriff Estes instructed the assembled group not to get into a direct confrontation with McElroy, but instead seriously consider forming a neighborhood watch program. The law wasnt going to help the people of Skidmore. Full Worm Moon: Will Conditions Favor A Moonbow? All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. RELATED: 10 Of The Best Docuseries You Should Be Watching Now Each episode is around 40 minutes each and contains dramatic and intimate . Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers.
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