[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. Theoretically, [the murder] could be re-investigated, veteran Kansas City criminal defense attorney J.R. Hobbs tells A&E True Crime. They settle in Skidmore. The Story Of Ken McElroy, The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town He quit.. All Rights Reserved. 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. This is far from what happened in the case of McElroy. You dont take cases to trial to see what might happen, the former prosecutor said. In August of 1980, McElroy made attempts to intimidate the Bowenkamp family and their supporters to prevent them from testifying. A bond hearing was ordered. September 2nd, 1982: Keven though there were over sixty witnesses, no one came forward to name the shooter. The noted sites in the story are gone or boardedup. Some of these things are simply assumed to be factual, Baird said. In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. It was so out of the blue, almost to the point of being surreal, said Monte, who occasionally worked in her parents store. Nobody called an ambulance. A couple of men hustled Trena to a nearby bank, away from the gunfire. Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers. I dont know what happened,' Boyer recalls witnesses saying. When talking about McElroy, MacLean wondered how he was able to be so crafty. McElroy would just sit and glower at you just stare at you and youd never know what he was thinking.. There were as many as 60 witnesses, yet the crime remains unsolved. However, he was also charged with various crimes. 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. 10 Things You Need To Know About The Documentary No One - ScreenRant When the news that Ken and Trena went to the local bar that evening, everyone got up and made their way over. 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. As a result, he was arrested, but quickly released. McElroy was found not guilty. Consisting of around 440 residents and a number of small family-run businesses, the farming town revolved around work ethic. It failed McElroy, too, because it failed to protect him from himself. His last wife, Trena, became pregnant with their first child at age 14. [9] McElroy was convicted at trial of assault, but freed on bail pending his appeal. McElroy sat outside the foster home for hours at a time staring at it. 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. Shortly after, Strattons wife Margaret was headed to church when she saw a strange truck in the driveway. In July 1976, McElroy pulled a shotgun on farmer Romaine Henry and shot the man in the stomach. The story of Ken Rex McElroy began on June 1, 1934. He was punctual, always said he didnt do it, paid in cash and kept coming back.. 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Ken McElroy died in a hail of gunfire on the morning of July 10, 1981, while sitting in his truck outside a local tavern. Gene McFadin, McElroys nickel-slick lawyer from Kansas City could get Ken off every time, Kirby Goslee, a 71-year-old Skidmore farmer who still works the land his family homesteaded six generations ago, told Patch. Part of his teeth were lying on the dashboard, Boyer recalls. 1958: Ken McElroy becomes involved with a young woman named Sharon. None of the witnesses called an ambulance or gave information about a shooter. The law wasnt going to help the people of Skidmore. There may never be an answer to the question of who killed Ken Rex McElroy. The police chief who oversaw the investigation, Hal Riddle, disagrees. [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 McElroy was born in 1934, one of 16 children, author Harry MacLean explains in his book In Broad Daylight, an account of the case. One assumption Skidmore hasnt been able to shed is that McElroys killing was an act of vigilante justice. 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. 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. It's hard to believe that this small town was once a bustlingcommunity. Sheriff Estes instructed the assembled group not to get into a direct confrontation with McElroy, but instead seriously consider forming a neighborhood watch program. She died of cancer on Jan. 24, 2012; it was her 55th birthday. Anywhere from 30 to 90 people watched the 47-year-old McElroy die in an act that ended his decade-long reign of terror over the people of Skidmore. The 12-year-old's parents initially opposed the relationship, but after McElroy burned their house down and shot the family dog, they relented and agreed to the marriage. 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Everyone in town seemed to know McElroy had done it, yet he spent only a single night in jail for nearly killing the man. According to a report, no one called an ambulance. Of the most serious, McElroy was accused of child molestation and statutory rape. McElroy wound up shooting Bowenkamp in the neck, nearly killing 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 . Ken Rex McElroy was an American known as "the town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri. Anticipating McElroys typical moves, Stratton waited on a back road near the Kansas border. Sixteen days after Trena gave birth, both she and Alice fled to Trena's mother's and stepfather's house. 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 morning of July 10, 1981, a group of frustrated and angry men gathered at the Legion Hall in Skidmore, MacLean writes. E-mail: ramzywritersofficial@gmail.com. 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. [12] The DA declined to press charges. Luckily, Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was charged with attempted murder. There has been books written, movies, documentaries and more made about the killing. In the ensuing confrontation, McElroy shot Bowenkamp in the neck; Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Harry MacLean, author of "In Broad Daylight". in the A&E App.]. 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 objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in Skidmore, Missouri on July 10, 1981. A reported crowd of up to 60 men had largely dispersed, but some onlookers remained, staring at the pickup. 'Below the Fold' movie based on Skidmore, Missouri released - WDAF-TV In 2019, the McElroy killing was the subject of a docuseries on SundanceTV. They sacrificed one for the betterment of hundreds. You dont have a town full of people who were hiding a guilty conscience, he said. 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. Trena McElroy fingered a local rancher as one of the gunmen, but he denied the claim. Ken McElroy - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage But Ken rarely had to wrestle with the Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. 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. A swarthy, physically intimidating man who carried about 270 pounds on his more than 6-foot frame, McElroy had thick black eyebrows and bushy sideburns. Ken Rex McElroy - Trakt We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. McElroy burned down the girls home and shot her familys dog to force her parents to agree to the marriage. Joyce Monte, daughter of injured grocer. Just to be aware, he explained. Trena McCloud's Civil Suit Against Skidmore, Missouri Revealed - Bustle 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. 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. 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. [1] To date, no one has been charged in connection with McElroy's death. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. No. 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. It was a matter of self-preservation. He believes one of the gunmen was the suspect named by the widow. We were so bitter and so angry at the law letting us down that it came to somebody taking matters in their own hands, said Bowenkamps daughter, Cheryl Huston. Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers. The Story Of Ken McElroy The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town. The sheriff said, If you have to shoot him, let us know and well come get him before he starts stinking, Monte said. His father was a tenant farmer, his mother a housewife swamped with feeding and caring for the sprawling family. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! Henry survived and McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill. McElroy first began his relationship with McCloud when she was 14 and the two had a child shortly thereafter. The people of the town keep their heads down and prefer to not speak about the incident. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. Town Mute for 30 Years About a Bullys Killing, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/us/16bully.html. A memorial in the tiny downtown park displays the name of an expectant mother murdered six years ago, her fetus cut from her womb. On the morning of July 10, 1981, several townspeople met with the Nodaway County sheriff at a local hall to discuss what could be done about McElroy. In fact, anywhere between thirty and ninety people witnessed the . Mr. McElroy was quickly rearrested after he appeared in town with a rifle, but he was again released. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. But even after a federal prosecutor forwarded to Mr. Baird what he called substantial new evidence, no one was indicted. 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. [6], Based on Trena's story, McElroy was indicted in June 1973 for arson, assault, and statutory rape. 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. There just wouldnt have been a story.. Now, nearly 30 years later, that prosecutor, David A. Baird, is preparing to leave office with his first and most famous case still unsolved. I said it in 1981, and Ill say it now, Baird told Patch. When Daylight Saving Time 2023 Begins, Will It Be For The Last Time. If those responsible for killing McElroy are vigilantes, its because the justice system made them that way, Monte said. As Trena told the story to reporters, a group of men followed them as they left the D&G. Trena jumped from the truck and a man helped her to safety. But not that one. And despite there being dozens of witnesses, no one has ever been arrested or charged in connection with McElroys murder. Ken Rex McElroy was born on month day 1934, at birth place, Missouri, to Anthony Wyatt McElroy and Mable Marie McElroy (born Lister). Local police, state investigators and FBI agents tried to break the towns silence, without success. Three grand juries heard evidence. They thought about his wife and his children, and where it left them particularly the children.. 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. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. 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. No one bothered to turn it off. 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. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. Estes, the sheriff some tried to implicate in a conspiracy, is dead. Was justice served? I dont believe youre coming nowafter we needed your help all this time.. Ive never thought there was a series of phone calls that went around dont say this or that. Those farmers have known each other since they were children. He was accused or suspected of dozens of crimes, including theft, livestock rustling, burglary, arson, assault, rape, and child molestation. He put those skills to work rustling hogs and cattle, MacLean recounts. He was sure it was Mr. McElroy who had done the shooting. The murder of Ken Rex McElroy took place in plain view of dozens of residents of this small farm town, under the glare of the morning sun. The townspeople organized a caravan to escort the witnesses to the hearing both to protect them and to show solidarity. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroys killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. (Editors Note: Patch Deputy National Editor Beth Dalbey grew up on a farm about 10 miles from Skidmore, Missouri.). What set off McElroy and put the local grocer in his crosshairs was the pettiest of offenses. 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. Five or six of us were standing in front of the Skidmore Caf, waiting and passing the time. 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! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. He divorces Oleta and marries Sharon to get out of a chargeof assault after shooting Sharon during an argument. Once, he even got out and fired a shotgun up in the pine tree by their house. [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.