Few were criticized as mightily as Baird over the lack of prosecution in McElroys murder. The justice system just crashed and burned over this case.. Road signs bear a picture of a young man who disappeared nine years ago and is feared dead. Get out of town, they said. 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. McElroy was eventually convicted, but the charge was lessened from "attempt to kill" to "knowingly caused serious physical injury" to ensure a conviction. McElroy denied he was at the scene. After Sally had had three kids, Ken kicks her out of the house. Hed leave, then hed come back, Monte said. 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. 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. None of the witnesses called an ambulance or gave information about a shooter. His father was a tenant farmer, his mother a housewife swamped with feeding and caring for the sprawling family. 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. 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 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. SKIDMORE, Mo. McElroy allegedly stole livestock, grain, gasoline, and antiques. This is far from what happened in the case of McElroy. 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. 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. 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? After McElroy fired a gun outside her house, Evelyn Sumy appealed to Dave Dunbar, the town marshal. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. The people of Skidmore were becoming more and more frustrated with the failures to protect them in the justice system. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. So is Stratton. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. Ken Rex McElroy was a 6-foot, 270 pounds, dark-complexioned, blue-eyed man who lived in Skidmore, Missouri. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. He was punctual, always said he didnt do it, paid in cash and kept coming back.. 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. Dec. 15, 2010. The couple then moved to Colorado. Investigators dug and dug, but Skidmore residents maintained their silence. When the news that Ken and Trena went to the local bar that evening, everyone got up and made their way over. So what was left?. The person(s) responsible for firing the shots that killed McElroy remains unsolved. The witnesses all claimed they had seen nothing. He had a legendary status, and it all got to be bigger than he was. [1] To date, no one has been charged in connection with McElroy's death. Two people decided in the midst of that whole incident theyd had enough, MacLean said. The townsfolk were infuriated. He was freed on bond. He had been terrorizing Skidmore for years and he kept getting away with it. 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. 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. Witnessing the murder were McElroys wife, Trena, screaming in the passenger seat and dozens of local residents. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. Three grand juries heard evidence. The DA declined to press charges and the following investigation proved to be futile. Yes, its against the law, but you know, the law is not the final definitive word on him. McElroys wife named one person as a possible gunman, but no one couldor wouldidentify who fired the shots. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. The noted sites in the story are gone or boardedup. Part of his teeth were lying on the dashboard, Boyer recalls. 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. Yet the identity of McElroys killer is a public secret Skidmore has kept for 38 years. His last wife, Trena, became pregnant with their first child at age 14. Allegedly, even the mayor was in on it. Ken McElroy died in a hail of gunfire on the morning of July 10, 1981, while sitting in his truck outside a local tavern. There were as many as 60 witnesses, yet the crime remains unsolved. However, an incident would occur in 1980 that changed everything. 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. 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 town has seen more than its share of tragedy. Former Nodaway County prosecutor David Baird, Its proceedings are secret, but in news interviews at the time, McElroys widow said she told a county grand jury who murdered her husband. Those in attendance felt the system had failed them, and it seemed like none of the authorities could stop McElroy. 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. Were the citizens justified in taking matters into their own hands? Tensions in Skidmore soared as McElroys trial neared. 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,. 1969 or 1970: Ken McElroy becomes involved with a young girl named Trena McCloud. 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. Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers. McElroy was known to pay local kids for information about who was where in town at what time, so the Bowenkamps developed their own network of informants. June 16th, 1934: Ken Rex McElroy is born to Mabel and Tony McElroy, the thirteenth out of fourteen children. They were witnesses. McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. We didnt have sufficient evidence to go to trial.. Stratton knew McElroy from a previous stop when he threatened the trooper with a shotgun. Bullet casings from two different guns were found. On July 27, 1976, Skidmore farmer Romaine Henry said McElroy shot him twice with a shotgun after Henry challenged him for shooting weapons on Henry's property. One of the killers has died. 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. Women had a harder time with it than the men. According to court records, McElroy tracked them down and brought them back. 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. After dropping out of school in the eighth grade, it didnt take long for Ken McElroy to fall into a life of delinquency. Missouri-based journalist Steve Booher described the attitude of some townspeople as, "He needed killing. 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. SKIDMORE, Mo. The murder took place on July 10, 1981, the day after McElroy had threatened Bowenkamp at the tavern. And its likely to stay that way. She gathered her strength and put the car in reverse. What could legally be done about McElroy, they asked Sheriff Danny Estes, who had been elected months earlier. More awful crimes have taken place in the small town. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. Ken Rex McElroy Jr. - Biography - IMDb Edit Ken Rex McElroy Jr. 1960: Ken moves his young girlfriendSally into his house with Sharon. We had shoplifting, but a lot of people were on hard times. He would intimidate anyone who got in his way, usually by repeatedly harassing them or threatening them with a bullet. But Ken rarely had to wrestle with the 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. He was accused or suspected of dozens of crimes, including theft, livestock rustling, burglary, arson, assault, rape, and child molestation. When a court hearing was postponed, there was a meeting in town, with the mayor and the sheriff attending, to discuss Mr. McElroy. 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. Why are you doing this? 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 of Ken Rex McElroy began on June 1, 1934. No one was ever accused of shoplifting, or stealing. [6] Trena and her baby were placed in foster care at a home in Maryville, Missouri. Another was McElroys intimidation tactics, MacLean writes. What started with hunting raccoons escalated into petty crime until McElroy ultimately emerged as a full-fledged criminal. I dont believe youre coming nowafter we needed your help all this time.. Reporting on what you care about. 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. His successor, Robert Rice, already knew how Mr. McElroy died. I got in the car and was shaking so bad.. 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. [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. Murder is still murder. Somebody would hear his name, and the legend grew bigger. We might not see him for three or four days, and then wed see him every day for weeks, Monte said. In fact, anywhere between thirty and ninety people witnessed the . Im never going to answer that question. (Editors Note: Patch Deputy National Editor Beth Dalbey grew up on a farm about 10 miles from Skidmore, Missouri.). McFadin, McElroys lawyer, got the hearing postponed. 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. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in Skidmore, Missouri on July 10, 1981. April 10th, 1972: After Alice runs away with their son, Ken McElroy gets into an altercation with Alice's stepfather and shoots him. Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers. When Daylight Saving Time 2023 Begins, Will It Be For The Last Time. Ken Rex Melroy was born on June 1st, 1934 to a family of poor tenant farmers who moved to Skidmore. McElroys wifewhom he victimized as a childremarried and moved to Lebanon, Missouri. Only July 10, 1981, there was a meeting at the town hall, down the street from D&G Tavern. Shortly after being released, McElroy was at D&G Tavern making threats about murdering Bowenkamp. There may never be an answer to the question of who killed Ken Rex McElroy. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. It's said the county's law enforcement officials were afraid of encountering McElroy, who was known to be heavily armed. Our law enforcement never went after him very hard, he said. 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. Mr. McElroy was quickly rearrested after he appeared in town with a rifle, but he was again released. In 1981, vigilantes in Skidmore, Mo., took justice into their own hands and killed town bully Ken Rex McElroy but no one was charged with the crime. 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). Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. One assumption Skidmore hasnt been able to shed is that McElroys killing was an act of vigilante justice. 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. Almost everyone, with the exception of Bo Bowenkamp, backed down. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. He was known as the town bully , but they may be putting it mildly. 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. And despite there being dozens of witnesses, no one has ever been arrested or charged in connection with McElroys murder. 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. McElroy was hit twice by two different guns and died from injuries to his head and neck. 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. 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. Once there, he threatened Bo, and shot him in the neck at close range with a shotgun. And he has already asked the sheriffs office to re-examine some of the unsolved cases. Yet in a conspiracy of silence that has spanned the past 38 years, the townsfolk have held the secret close. THE KILLING OF KEN REX MCELROY THIRTY YEARS LATER. In the end, fear is what killed him, Goslee said. It was so out of the blue, almost to the point of being surreal, said Monte, who occasionally worked in her parents store. June 16th, 1934: Ken Rex McElroy is born to Mabel and Tony McElroy, the thirteenth out of fourteen children. The streak ended when a jury convicted Mr. McElroy of second-degree assault in the grocers shooting. It was a sunny, clear summer day. YouTubeThe towns local bar in Skidmore, Missouri. McElroy was furious when he learned of the incident. His father was a tenant farmer, his mother a housewife swamped with feeding and caring for the sprawling family. Trena dove from the truck and was taken to safety. Hed help anyone that needed to be helped, she said in an interview recounted in In Broad Daylight. Once, he even got out and fired a shotgun up in the pine tree by their house. The Vigilantemurder of Ken Rex McElroy still remains a mystery today. The Story Of Ken McElroy The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town. We went to the courts. That it was a vigilante killing is not true for a lot of reasons; if they had decided to kill him, they wouldnt have stood in the street to watch the murder unfold, he said. You dont take cases to trial to see what might happen, the former prosecutor said. 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. 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. Actually, I think those shooters saved lives in the end, she said. Its been over 30 years.