I think he treated the whole town of Skidmore that way, the 78-year-old said, adding she didnt feel brave. But it got to the point it made me mad.. The murder occurred in broad daylight, with as many as sixty eye-witnesses present, including the wife of the deceased. One night after he pulled a speeding pickup truck over, Boyer came face to face with McElroy. We might not see him for three or four days, and then wed see him every day for weeks, Monte said. Retribution was slow coming to Ken McElroybut lightning fast when it happened. Some attributed his bizarre and violent behavior to a head injury suffered in this event. McElroy was found not guilty. 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. There wasn't much parental supervision, but McElroy had a knack for taking care of himself. The townspeople organized a caravan to escort the witnesses to the hearing both to protect them and to show solidarity. When word spread that McElroy was in town, a couple of the men walked from the Legion hall to the D&G. He was very cunning, MacLean told Patch. This past weekend marked the 40th anniversary of the killing of Ken Rex McElroy of Skidmore. Meanwhile, McElroy and his wife arrived at the D&G Tavern for a morning drink. 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. 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. 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). Trena McElroy accused Skidmore residents of turning her husband into a scapegoat. She took her complaint to at-the-time Nodaway County Sheriff Roger Cronk. 'No One Saw a Thing': A town torn apart by 38 years of violence 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. According to reports, some 50 people were outside the tavern when the shooting started. 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 morning of July 10, 1981, a group of frustrated and angry men gathered at the Legion Hall in Skidmore, MacLean writes. Alas, the victory was short-lived. Shortly after being released, McElroy was at D&G Tavern making threats about murdering Bowenkamp. Of the potential 40 or so witnesses, with the exception of Trena, none could name a shooter. He was arrested, booked, arraigned, and released on $2,500 bail. Now, nearly 30 years later, that prosecutor, David A. Baird, is preparing to leave office with his first and most famous case still unsolved. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. Two people decided in the midst of that whole incident theyd had enough, MacLean said. In the ensuing confrontation, McElroy shot Bowenkamp in the neck; Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was arrested and charged with attempted murder. 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! He never finished high school but knew how to hunt, drive fast and navigate the back roads of Nodaway County by his early teens. 1, it is murder. 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. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! As many as 60 Skidmore residents attended, including the mayor and the sheriff. 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. He grew up hearing the story. June 29th, 1981: McElroy enters a bar with an illegal firearm, due to him being out on bail. Then, on a warm July night, McElroy shot my dad as he sat on the back loading dock of his store, waiting for an air conditioner repairman, Monte said. When talking about McElroy, MacLean wondered how he was able to be so crafty. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the strangest instances investigators ever saw. The larger-than-life bully who menaced the farming community of Skidmore died in seconds. The death of Ken Rex McElroy is a perplexing case that has hung heavy over the town of Skidmore, Missouri for decades. 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. 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. 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. His father was a tenant farmer, his mother a housewife swamped with feeding and caring for the sprawling family. He was indicted as many as 21 times, but escaped conviction all but once. Someone shot at McElroy while he was sitting in his truck. 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. Almost everyone, with the exception of Bo Bowenkamp, backed down. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. As Ken McElroy sat in his truck, he was shot at several times. A trial took place the following year and for the first time ever, Ken McElroy was convicted. Genealogy profile for Ken Rex McElroy Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1982) - Genealogy Genealogy for Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1982) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. One of these women was 24-year-old Trena McCloud, who was McElroy's partner. [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. His last wife, Trena, became pregnant with their first child at age 14. 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. Ken McElroy issues threats against the Bowenkamp family. Those who witnessed the killing didnt speak of it again, not because they were part of a conspiracy, MacLean believes, but because theyre stoic by nature. 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 July 8th, 1980: The Bowenkamps filed a legal proceeding against Ken McElroy after the incident in their store. Retaliation would be severe. But in a dramatic act of solidarity with the gunman, every witness, save the dead mans wife, denied seeing who had pulled the trigger. I have no doubt hed have tried to kill my mom. THE KILLING OF KEN REX MCELROY THIRTY YEARS LATER. One reason was McElroys lawyer Richard Gene McFadin, a skilled defense attorney who ran rings around inexperienced prosecutors. Henry survived and McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill. However, an incident would occur in 1980 that changed everything. She gathered her strength and put the car in reverse. Within a few years, she had had four children by him. He was a goodhearted person. And its likely to stay that way. 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. [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. When the shooting ended, McElroy was slumped over the steering wheel. In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. [3] McElroy was acquitted. It's said that the meeting adjourned, and the crowd quietly descended upon the tavern, flanking McElroy's truck. 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. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. It's hard to believe that this small town was once a bustlingcommunity. More awful crimes have taken place in the small town. Five or six of us were standing in front of the Skidmore Caf, waiting and passing the time. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. 18 Facts About The Murder Of Ken Rex McElroy, One Of The Most In 1980, after a misunderstanding about a candy purchase from a Skidmore grocery store involving McElroys daughters, McElroy shot popular owner Bo Bowenkamp in the neck. The Vigilantemurder of Ken Rex McElroy still remains a mystery today. Things reached a boiling point in 1980 when Ken McElroy got into a confrontation with the towns elderly grocer, Ernest Bo Bowenkamp. There has been books written, movies, documentaries and more made about the killing. 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.. He was represented by defense attorney Richard Gene McFadin of Gallatin, Missouri. The Story Of Ken McElroy, The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town 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. The DA declined to press charges and the following investigation proved to be futile. [1] To date, no one has been charged in connection with McElroy's death. He found a macabre scene. Nobody called an ambulance. At least some of the witnesses surely knew who fired the bullet that shattered the back window of McElroys truck and blew off the back of his head. 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. She died in 2012. They know how everybody thinks.. He begins to rant about how he is going to ruin Bo Bowenkamp. 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. 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. Didnt see a thing. Thats the response investigators repeatedly received when they questioned people over the death of Ken McElroy. McElroy was eventually convicted, but the charge was lessened from "attempt to kill" to "knowingly caused serious physical injury" to ensure a conviction. Bullet casings from two different guns were found. Trena jumped from the truck and a man helped her to safety. Alice and Ken eventually separate. This six-episode true-crime docuseries comes from Sundance TV and premiered last August. 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. The Craziest Cold Case in History The Murder of Ken Rex McElroy 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. If you were to go to Skidmore today, there isn't much to see. McElroys wifewhom he victimized as a childremarried and moved to Lebanon, Missouri. After dropping out of school in the eighth grade, it didnt take long for Ken McElroy to fall into a life of delinquency. His successor, Robert Rice, already knew how Mr. McElroy died. McElroy denied he was at the scene. His attorney, Richard McFadin, said he routinely defended Ken McElroy in three or four felonies a year. Still working within the justice system, witnesses who saw McElroy with the gun gave the information the county prosecutor needed to request a bond revocation hearing. A bond hearing was ordered. 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. The verdict was second-degree assault and two years. They were witnesses. He met his last wife, Trena McCloud (19572012), when she was 12 years old and in eighth grade. McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. Tensions in Skidmore soared as McElroys trial neared. 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. He was nonplussed. I am a History Educator and a Lifelong Learner with a Masters in Global History. She died of cancer on Jan. 24, 2012; it was her 55th birthday. Bullet casings from two guns were found. Ken McElroy - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage Ken Rex McElroy was an American known as "the town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri. [6], Based on Trena's story, McElroy was indicted in June 1973 for arson, assault, and statutory rape. There just wouldnt have been a story.. A few days later, a pickup truck showed up in the wee hours outside Boyers remote country house. CHAPTER ONE. However, in 1981, Trena told People magazine that the fire was a result of "faulty wiring.". He put those skills to work rustling hogs and cattle, MacLean recounts. Trena dove from the truck and was taken to safety. 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. But in a dramatic act of . To the residents of the small town, he was the town bully. Tucked away in the northwest corner of Missouri is a small, dusty town 46 miles north of St. Joseph with a decades-old secret. Joyce Monte, daughter of injured grocer. But if tried by a jury of their peers, I doubt anybody around here would have convicted the shooters. What could legally be done about McElroy, they asked Sheriff Danny Estes, who had been elected months earlier. 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. Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! July 1981: During the 1st week of July it was announced that there would be a delay in McElroy's bond hearing. Heavy lids veiled cold, steel-blue eyes, making them look like half moons. Murder is still murder. Absolutely not, he said. [9] McElroy was convicted at trial of assault, but freed on bail pending his appeal. 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. 1 or 2 men (unclear) took guns and shot Ken Rex McElroy dead in his truck. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. He was hit twice and died in his truck. As there were no witnesses, nobody was able to take the stand. Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I dont believe youre coming nowafter we needed your help all this time.. 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. Ken Rex McElroy 1934-1981. 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. 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. So is Stratton. Yes, its against the law, but you know, the law is not the final definitive word on him. If they thought it was getting too out of hand, they would send one of us up and down the aisle. Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1982) - Genealogy - geni family tree Farmers carried them to kill varmints, or for hunting displaying them in plain sight in rear window gun racks. 'Below the Fold' movie based on Skidmore, Missouri released - WDAF-TV To the residents of the small town, he was the town bully. 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 unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. It failed McElroy, too, because it failed to protect him from himself. 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. June 25th, 1981: McElroy returns to Skidmore out on bail until an appeal hearing. Again, there were no indictments, and the McElroy murder case was tossed back to Baird. Shortly after, Strattons wife Margaret was headed to church when she saw a strange truck in the driveway. No One Saw a Thing - Wikipedia 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. No. Part of his teeth were lying on the dashboard, Boyer recalls. July 10th, 1981: The townspeople gather around Ken's truck once he and Trena exit the bar. After McElroy finished his drinks, he purchased a six pack of beer, left the bar, and entered his pickup truck. Then you can read about chilling cold cases where the murderers and victims were both unknown. Theoretically, [the murder] could be re-investigated, veteran Kansas City criminal defense attorney J.R. Hobbs tells A&E True Crime. A lot of them didnt even tell their wives and children. The person(s) responsible for firing the shots that killed McElroy remains unsolved. July 10th, 1981: The Townspeople gather in the Legion to discuss what should be done about Ken McElroy. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. 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. In August of 1980, McElroy made attempts to intimidate the Bowenkamp family and their supporters to prevent them from testifying.