He was accused or suspected of dozens of crimes, including theft, livestock rustling, burglary, arson, assault, rape, and child molestation. 13 Things About Ken McElroy's Shooting You Need To Know Before - Bustle Once, he even got out and fired a shotgun up in the pine tree by their house. Weighing in at approximately 270 pounds with bushy black sideburns, McElroy held the entire . Murder is still murder. No. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Women had a harder time with it than the men. No one has any idea what a nightmare we lived.. McElroy made a living leasing land near his farm, and trading and racing dogs. He divorces Oleta and marries Sharon to get out of a chargeof assault after shooting Sharon during an argument. "[13], McElroy was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Joseph, Missouri. Everyone just went home. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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. 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. The towns local bar in Skidmore, Missouri. The law wasnt going to help the people of Skidmore. Everyone in town seemed to know McElroy had done it, yet he spent only a single night in jail for nearly killing the man. in the A&E App.]. This six-episode true-crime docuseries comes from Sundance TV and premiered last August. You dont have a town full of people who were hiding a guilty conscience, he said. 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. Im never going to answer that question. How is this man not in jail? Monte said, repeating the question asked by many when he showed up in Skidmore the morning after his release. June 25th, 1981: Ken McElroy is sentenced to two years in jail. 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. Heavy lids veiled cold, steel-blue eyes, making them look like half moons. 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. Consisting of around 440 residents and a number of small family-run businesses, the farming town revolved around work ethic. Yet the identity of McElroys killer is a public secret Skidmore has kept for 38 years. After McElroy finished his drinks, he purchased a six pack of beer, left the bar, and entered his pickup truck. The Town That Got Away With Murder - Ken Rex McElroy - Morbidology McElroy began stalking the Bowenkamp family, and eventually threatened Bo Bowenkamp in the back of his store with a shotgun in hand. The group heard McElroy and Trena McCloud were spotted heading to the tavern nearby. 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. 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. 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. McElroy divorced Alice and married Trena in order to escape charges of statutory rape, to which she was the only witness. 10 Things You Need To Know About The Documentary No One - ScreenRant Need help with the site? - A&E Ken McElroy died in a hail of gunfire on the morning of July 10, 1981, while sitting in his truck outside a local tavern. McElroy allegedly stole livestock, grain, gasoline, and antiques. Some attributed his bizarre and violent behavior to a head injury suffered in this event. They just went stone silent. He was known as the town bully, but they may be putting it mildly. McElroy was also accused of abusing his first two wives, Sharon and Alice, but Alice defended him in an interview shortly after his death. McElroy denied he was at the scene. There was a kind of silent charity on the part of my parents, and they never prosecuted. Anticipating McElroys typical moves, Stratton waited on a back road near the Kansas border. Carjackers Steal More Cars Many With Kids Still Inside, After Indulgent Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday Signals Abstinence, Fasting. The Vigilantemurder of Ken Rex McElroy still remains a mystery today. The murder took place on July 10, 1981, the day after McElroy had threatened Bowenkamp at the tavern. My experience is that trying a case is not always good at bringing closure, Mr. Baird said. We went to the police. A museum dedicated to Skidmore, Mo., sits on Elm Street, the towns main drag. Sixteen days after Trena gave birth, both she and Alice fled to Trena's mother's and stepfather's house. Shortly after being released, McElroy was at D&G Tavern making threats about murdering Bowenkamp. Luckily, Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was charged with attempted murder. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. Alice and Ken eventually separate. Everyone was keeping an eye on us. 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. 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. Town Mute for 30 Years About a Bullys Killing, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/us/16bully.html. Many wondered: Why didnt Baird press charges against the man Trena McElroy fingered as her husbands killer? Obsessed with travel? Refusing to argue, he and Lois went home. No one was charged, and the FBI closed the case. In court, Bowenkamp testified about how McElroy confronted him in the loading dock of the grocery while he was cutting up boxes and shot him in the neck. [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. 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. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroys killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. Joyce Monte, daughter of injured grocer. 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. Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? The local major-cases squad investigated, then the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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. Trena McElroy fingered a local rancher as one of the gunmen, but he denied the claim. The meeting's entire purpose was to discuss what they could legally do to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. Despite being shot in broad daylight in front of various witnesses, the . A lot of them didnt even tell their wives and children. Ken Rex McElroy - Trakt In a trial for shooting a Skidmore man in 1976 two witnesses appeared saying they had been with McElroy hunting miles away from the scene. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. Investigators dug and dug, but Skidmore residents maintained their silence. And despite there being dozens of witnesses, no one has ever been arrested or charged in connection with McElroys murder. McElroy began backing out too, then tailed Margaret until she radioed Richard and squad cars showed up. McElroys wife named one person as a possible gunman, but no one couldor wouldidentify who fired the shots. Those in attendance felt the system had failed them, and it seemed like none of the authorities could stop McElroy. But not that one. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroy's killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. Recent leaks into killing of town bully Ken Rex McElroy - reddit Trena jumped from the truck and a man helped her to safety. I am a History Educator and a Lifelong Learner with a Masters in Global History. [8] At the trial, two raccoon hunters testified they were with McElroy the day of the shooting away from Henry's property. Now, nearly 30 years later, that prosecutor, David A. Baird, is preparing to leave office with his first and most famous case still unsolved. The person(s) responsible for firing the shots that killed McElroy remains unsolved. There were plenty of eyewitnesses, as well as the attack happened in broad. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. As he sat drinking at the bar, word got back to the men at the Legion Hall that he was in town. 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. When the call went out, State Police Cpl. After McElroy fired a gun outside her house, Evelyn Sumy appealed to Dave Dunbar, the town marshal. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 - July 10, 1981) was a resident of Skidmore, Nodaway County, Missouri. He found a macabre scene. Over the next two years, three grand juries were empaneled and testimony taken. When Estes and state troopers arrived back in town, the streets were empty and quiet, save the rumbling, smoking engine of McElroys truck. Get out of town, they said. If we could have proved who done it, he would have prosecuted him, said Mr. Riddle, 72 and also retired, who describes the case as the most frustrating of his career. On July 8, 1980, McElroy drove to the alley behind the Bowenkamp general store. Best client I ever had, McFadin said in an interview. He was represented by defense attorney Richard Gene McFadin of Gallatin, Missouri. Just months after Mr. Baird became county prosecutor a post he was encouraged to take because nothing exciting ever happens in Nodaway County he found himself in a courtroom for the first time with Mr. McElroy, who had shot an elderly Skidmore grocer in the neck with a shotgun. He didnt have a bank account, didnt have a Social Security number, he didnt read. 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. As many as 60 people were reported to have been at the scene, but not one of them would say who had wielded the weapons. Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers. In the summer of 1981, a jury handed McElroy his first-ever felony conviction for the lesser charge of second-degree assault. He was known as "the town bully", [1] and his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. They had to look out for themselves. In all, McElroy was indicted 21 times and managed to escape conviction every time. A deer slug in one chamber tore through Bowenkamps neck, coming within 3 inches of his head. The last three decades have been tough on this agricultural community of 342, about an hour and a half north of Kansas City. 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. It failed McElroy, too, because it failed to protect him from himself. The bar soon filled completely. The clerk, Evelyn Sumy, was at the back of the store when the doors swung open. 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. The police chief who oversaw the investigation, Hal Riddle, disagrees. An extensive federal investigation did not lead to any charges. Trena dove from the truck and was taken to safety. 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.". He said he was not at all disappointed to leave office with the case still unsolved. Ken Rex McElroy was an illiterate hog farmer who lived on the outskirts of a small town in Northwest Missouri. Some of these things are simply assumed to be factual, Baird said. McElroy for the most part escaped prosecution and, certainly, conviction for various crimes. In Broad Daylight: A Murder in Skidmore, Missouri. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. So the townspeople held a meeting. It went beyond just hammering people and being mean-spirited. The FBI entered the case stiff-arming and threatening people, is how Monte, the Bowenkamps daughter, relates it. 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. 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. Ken Rex McElroy 1934-1981. Ken Rex McElroy sat in his truck for over an hour before the law was called. Born in 1934, Ken Rex McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. McElroy was known to have stolen grain, alcohol, gasoline, antiques, and even livestock. A trial took place the following year and for the first time ever, Ken McElroy was convicted. 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. No one bothered to turn it off. The justice system just crashed and burned over this case.. You know what he was like. No One Saw a Thing - Wikipedia A federal grand jury was convened. McElroy was furious when he learned of the incident. E-mail: ramzywritersofficial@gmail.com. Farmers carried them to kill varmints, or for hunting displaying them in plain sight in rear window gun racks. He was very cunning, MacLean told Patch. Someone shot at McElroy while he was sitting in his truck. Ken Rex McElroy was an American known as "the town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri. 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. It was so out of the blue, almost to the point of being surreal, said Monte, who occasionally worked in her parents store. In fact, anywhere between thirty and ninety people witnessed the . 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. [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. This past weekend marked the 40th anniversary of the killing of Ken Rex McElroy of Skidmore. Bottles, glasses for restaurants and barsincomible/Getty ImagesFull of Audienceuschools/Getty ImagesAn American police officer posing arms folded beside cop carDarrenMower/Getty ImagesCar Wash Truck SprayA-Digit/Getty ImagesCity People Setedge69/Getty ImagesSilhouette of people in action4x6/Getty ImagesCaucasian farmer standing in irrigated fieldHill Street Studios/Getty ImagesYoung woman on the streetSensorSpot/Getty ImagesShot Truck Driverwwing/Getty ImagesOlder Caucasian man standing with hands in pocketsSam Diephuis/Getty ImagesOutlines of rebellionsshironosov/Getty Imagesmain street remote rural prairie towndlerick/Getty ImagesBlank magazine on wooden backgroundgrinvalds/Getty ImagesEmpty Country Road In UsaDan Thornberg / EyeEm/Getty ImagesCaucasian farmer wearing gloves leaning on wooden fenceSteve Smith/Getty ImagesJudge holding gavel in courtroomChris Ryan/Getty ImagesAuthentic Cowboy Rancher Portraitavid_creative/Getty ImagesSilhouettes of three cowboys on a white backgroundheartbar/Getty ImagesCaucasian security officers posing with flashlightKirk Marsh/Getty ImagesPrivate investigator reports what he seestzahiV/Getty ImagesThis farm is my pride and joypixdeluxe/Getty Imagesdark portrait of a man in a hoodserikbaib/Getty ImagesWhite colored house with blue doorMableen/Getty ImagesYoung couple havi EXTERNAL CREDITSGrant Henderson - Editor+Rick Weller- GFX Artist 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. 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. 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. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the strangest instances investigators ever saw. He was indicted as many as 21 times, but escaped conviction all but once. McElroy was hit twice by two different guns and died from injuries to his head and neck. The people of the town keep their heads down and prefer to not speak about the incident. Evelyn tried to explain what had happened, that nobody had accused the children of stealing, and Trena said, Why would my effing daughter lie? . About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . 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. Town Mute for 30 Years About a Bully's Killing - The New York Times Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. 1, it is murder. No one was surprised. And its likely to stay that way. Some people have attributed his strange behavior with this event. McCloud was McElroy's third "wife," though all unions were suspicious due to the fact that some of his marriages overlapped. Calling the sheriff about his threats was risk few were willing to take not that it would have done much good, Goslee said. The bar that provided the backdrop for the shooting is closed and for sale for $20,000. A memorial in the tiny downtown park displays the name of an expectant mother murdered six years ago, her fetus cut from her womb. A man who turned out to be McElroy pointed a shotgun at me, Margaret tells A&E True Crime. Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1982) - Genealogy - geni family tree 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). So is Stratton. Both Sally and Sharon begin having Ken's children. What started with hunting raccoons escalated into petty crime until McElroy ultimately emerged as a full-fledged criminal. In Broad Daylight: A murder in Skidmore, Missouri|Paperback They settle in Skidmore. 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. Alas, the victory was short-lived. Allegedly, even the mayor was in on it. He went about making public threats against the grocer while armed with a rifle. When he got off on a trial, it grew even bigger. The sheriff suggested they form a neighborhood watch and advised the group not to confront the man. Boyer was among the first responders to arrive outside the D&G tavern where McElroy was ambushed. Known as 'the town bully', his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. July 10th, 1981: The townspeople gather around Ken's truck once he and Trena exit the bar. Then McElroy, described by veteran journalist Phil Conger as a big brute of a guy with slicked-back hair like Elvis, took the stand. The noted sites in the story are gone or boardedup. [10] No one called for an ambulance. The witnesses all claimed they had seen nothing. 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. The Killing of Ken Rex McElroy Thirty Years Later 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. 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. McElroy appealed the case and was released on bond. They sacrificed one for the betterment of hundreds. April 25th, 1980: A few of Ken's children go to the local grocery store and is accused of stealing by Mrs. Bowenkamp. Why are you doing this? 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. One of these women was 24-year-old Trena McCloud, who was McElroy's partner. [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. 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.. [14] Trena remarried and moved to Lebanon, Missouri, where she died of cancer on her 55th birthday on January 24, 2012.[15]. In 1980, McElroy shot the 70-year-old town grocer in the neck following a months-old dispute over an accusation about a piece of stolen candy. He would intimidate anyone who got in his way, usually by repeatedly harassing them or threatening them with a bullet. Not only that, they recommended he spend no more than two years in prison. His successor, Robert Rice, already knew how Mr. McElroy died. 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. McElroy was hit twice and died. Once there, he threatened Bo, and shot him in the neck at close range with a shotgun. The verdict was second-degree assault and two years. It's said the county's law enforcement officials were afraid of encountering McElroy, who was known to be heavily armed. Vigilante justice is certainly a slippery slope, but after years of dealing with Ken McElroy, the people of Skidmore reached their boiling point. BuzzFeed McElroy allegedly stole livestock, grain, gasoline,. I got in the car and was shaking so bad.. McElroys rear window was shot out and the front window as well. In what could only be described as vigilante justice, they conspired to kill Ken McElroy. Another was McElroys intimidation tactics, MacLean writes. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. Part of his teeth were lying on the dashboard, Boyer recalls. 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. 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! The mere mention of his surname was enough to cause anxiety, if not full terror. When word spread that McElroy was in town, a couple of the men walked from the Legion hall to the D&G. Henry was forced to admit in court, under questioning by McElroy's attorney Richard Gene McFadin, that he had concealed his own petty criminal conviction from more than 30 years previous.