He was known as the town bully , but they may be putting it mildly. 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. He showed up to the towns local bar, armed with a rifle and bayonet, threatening to kill the elderly grocer. One of these women was 24-year-old Trena McCloud, who was McElroy's partner. In what could only be described as vigilante justice, they conspired to kill Ken McElroy. [10] No one called for an ambulance. After Sally had had three kids, Ken kicks her out of the house. McCloud attempted to escape to her parents' house, but McElroy allegedly responded by burning down Trena's parents' home and shooting their dog. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. What set off McElroy and put the local grocer in his crosshairs was the pettiest of offenses. He was shot at several times and hit twice, once by a centerfire rifle and once by a .22 rimfire rifle. Then McElroy, described by veteran journalist Phil Conger as a big brute of a guy with slicked-back hair like Elvis, took the stand. 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. 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 Vigilantemurder of Ken Rex McElroy still remains a mystery today. Allegedly, even the mayor was in on it. She was present at the time of his death. Additional charges were filed against McElroy.[7]. No one has been charged in connection with McElroys death. He stood silently at the back of the store, but his wife tore into Sumy in an argument laced with four-letter bombs, Monte said. According to court records, McElroy tracked them down and brought them back. It was a sunny, clear summer day. Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers. 1. A few days later, a pickup truck showed up in the wee hours outside Boyers remote country house. There may never be an answer to the question of who killed Ken Rex McElroy. There is pretty much nothing in existence that was not stolen by McElroy during his 47 years. Theoretically, [the murder] could be re-investigated, veteran Kansas City criminal defense attorney J.R. Hobbs tells A&E True Crime. The Chilling Murder of Skidmore Town Bully Remains a Mystery - Medium McElroy for the most part escaped prosecution and, certainly, conviction for various crimes. SKIDMORE, Mo. Yet the identity of McElroys killer is a public secret Skidmore has kept for 38 years. Ken Rex McElroy, a notoriously brutal man who had terrorized Skidmore, Mo., for years, was killed in 1981. Is No One Saw A Thing A True Story? The Real-Life Murder - ScreenRant When word spread that McElroy was in town, a couple of the men walked from the Legion hall to the D&G. We went to the courts. According to a report, no one called an ambulance. It's said that the meeting adjourned, and the crowd quietly descended upon the tavern, flanking McElroy's truck. 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. 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.". 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. June 12th, 1973: After continuing his involvement with Trena McCloud, Ken McElroy burns down Trena's parents' house. Retribution was slow coming to Ken McElroybut lightning fast when it happened. The case was later settled out of court by all parties for $17,600, with no one admitting guilt, for the stated reason of avoiding costly legal fees should the suit proceed. The trial collapsed yet all accounts are sceptical that the witnesses were telling the . On July 10th, 1981 Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in the street in broad daylight infront of 60 witnesses. 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. 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 McElroy died in a hail of gunfire on the morning of July 10, 1981, while sitting in his truck outside a local tavern. Trena McElroy accused Skidmore residents of turning her husband into a scapegoat. Those in attendance felt the system had failed them, and it seemed like none of the authorities could stop McElroy. His successor, Robert Rice, already knew how Mr. McElroy died. Absolutely not, he said. He left town just as Ken and Trena McElroy were driving in, likely passing McElroys Chevrolet Silverado pickup in his cruiser on the road. 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.. This led to several patrons deciding to see what they could legally do to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. By the time McElroy was shot dead under the glare of the morning sun on July 10, 1981, everybody feared his hair-trigger temper and brooding presence. The noted sites in the story are gone or boardedup. Everyone just went home. 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. No One Saw a Thing S01E01 The Killing of Ken Rex McElroy Ken Rex McElroy The Movie Database (TMDB) 1958: Ken McElroy becomes involved with a young woman named Sharon. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. 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. Ken Rex McElroy Jr. - Biography - IMDb McElroys rear window was shot out and the front window as well. In the end, fear is what killed him, 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. As Trena told the story to reporters, a group of men followed them as they left the D&G. McElroy wound up shooting Bowenkamp in the neck, nearly killing him. July 8th, 1980: The Bowenkamps filed a legal proceeding against Ken McElroy after the incident in their store. Many buildings are closed and falling apart. Those who spoke out were taciturn. A lot of them didnt even tell their wives and children. Many wondered: Why didnt Baird press charges against the man Trena McElroy fingered as her husbands killer? It was a misunderstanding, but one that made the Bowenkamps lives a living hell for months. Once there, he threatened Bo, and shot him in the neck at close range with a shotgun. In 1981, McElroy was convicted of shooting . The Story Of Ken McElroy, The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town Mable was born on February 28 1897, in Dover, Shawnee County, KS, USA. No one has any idea what a nightmare we lived.. How did this uneducated person how is he able to outwit the criminal justice system for 20 years? said MacLean. You dont take cases to trial to see what might happen, the former prosecutor said. He then returned to Trena's parents' home when they were away and, once again, shot the family dog and burned the house down. Tell us what you think in the comments below. After dropping out of school in the eighth grade, it didnt take long for Ken McElroy to fall into a life of delinquency. Why are you doing this? Two people decided in the midst of that whole incident theyd had enough, MacLean said. SKIDMORE, MO Four decades after Ken Rex McElroy was gunned down on the main drag of Skidmore, Missouri, in one of Americas most infamous cold cases, the story of the notoriously brutal town bully has refused to die with him no matter how much the farmers and blue-collar workers who live in the small farming town wish it would. 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. If they thought it was getting too out of hand, they would send one of us up and down the aisle. As there were no witnesses, nobody was able to take the stand. The law had plenty of chances, plenty of times to lock him up., Added Monte: Justice failed everybody. [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. 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. Many buildings are closed and falling apart. [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. But in a dramatic act of . Police had charged him with various alleged crimes from stealing hogs to assault, but nothing stuck. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. Hed leave, then hed come back, Monte said. Anthony was born on August 27 1890, in Shelton, Knox County, MO, USA. The sheriff said, If you have to shoot him, let us know and well come get him before he starts stinking, Monte said. 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 Strange Killing of Ken Rex McElroy - YouTube During the meeting, McElroy arrived at the D&G Tavern with Trena. As many as 60 Skidmore residents attended, including the mayor and the sheriff. 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. They could have pushed and dug, pushed and dug and gotten nothing, said Huston. In 2019, the McElroy killing was the subject of a docuseries on SundanceTV. Biography Mini Bio (1) Ken Rex McElroy Jr. is known for No One Saw a Thing (2019). Joyce Monte, daughter of injured grocer. [14] Trena remarried and moved to Lebanon, Missouri, where she died of cancer on her 55th birthday on January 24, 2012.[15]. Nobody wanted to talk to us, retired Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Boyer tells A&E True Crime. They could have pushed and dug, pushed and dug and gotten nothing., We were so bitter and so angry at the law letting us down that it came to somebody taking matters in their own hands, she said. He went about making public threats against the grocer while armed with a rifle. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 - July 10, 1981) was a resident of Skidmore, Nodaway County, Missouri. When he got off on a trial, it grew even bigger. Instead, he continued to harass Bowenkamp. It's said the county's law enforcement officials were afraid of encountering McElroy, who was known to be heavily armed. The McElroys eventually left the store, but when Bowenkamp closed up that night, he was outside, waiting. Some people have attributed his strange behavior with this event. McElory was struck by two different firearms and died behind the wheel of his truck. Stratton knew McElroy from a previous stop when he threatened the trooper with a shotgun. But in a dramatic act of solidarity with the gunman, every witness, save the dead mans wife, denied seeing who had pulled the trigger. October 20th, 1974: Ken McElroy marries Trena McCloud to get out of a statutory rape charge with Trena. It was so out of the blue, almost to the point of being surreal, said Monte, who occasionally worked in her parents store. This is far from what happened in the case of McElroy. So is Stratton. He was punctual, always said he didnt do it, paid in cash and kept coming back.. So the townspeople held a meeting. But if tried by a jury of their peers, I doubt anybody around here would have convicted the shooters. There were plenty of eyewitnesses, as well as the attack happened in broad daylight, therefore Ken Rex McElroy - Trakt We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. Three grand juries heard evidence. It went beyond just hammering people and being mean-spirited. McElroy was known to have stolen grain, alcohol, gasoline, antiques, and even livestock. Shortly after, McElroy was arrested and charged with attempted murder. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. [6], Based on Trena's story, McElroy was indicted in June 1973 for arson, assault, and statutory rape. Within a few years, she had had four children by him. His attorney, Richard McFadin, said he routinely defended Ken McElroy in three or four felonies a year. Almost everyone, with the exception of Bo Bowenkamp, backed down. McElroy was a big man with cold eyes who always carried a gun. [12] The DA declined to press charges. Everyone involved continues to keep the secret and gives no answers. The morning of July 10, 1981, a group of frustrated and angry men gathered at the Legion Hall in Skidmore, MacLean writes. What gave rise to that theory is that they were in the Legion hall for a meeting, then went down to the D&G [when they heard McElroy was in town]. The couple then moved to Colorado. June 16th, 1934: Ken Rex McElroy is born to Mabel and Tony McElroy, the thirteenth out of fourteen children. We went to the police. I dont know what happened,' Boyer recalls witnesses saying. Over the next two years, three grand juries were empaneled and testimony taken. Some attributed his bizarre and violent behavior to a head injury suffered in this event. McElroy was born in 1934, the fifteenth of sixteen children born to a poor . He was very cunning, MacLean told Patch. None of the witnesses called an ambulance or gave information about a shooter. They settle in Skidmore. He was arrested, booked, arraigned, and released on $2,500 bail. To the residents of the small town, he was the town bully. In the summer of 1981, a jury handed McElroy his first-ever felony conviction for the lesser charge of second-degree assault. A&E, Rolling Stone, Playboy, 60 Minutes, and other media outlets covered the story in print or television. She died in 2012. 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. A deer slug in one chamber tore through Bowenkamps neck, coming within 3 inches of his head. He dropped out of school before he reached high school, and by 13 was already a familiar character to the cops around Nodaway County. June 29th, 1981: McElroy enters a bar with an illegal firearm, due to him being out on bail. [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. McElroy first began his relationship with McCloud when she was 14 and the two had a child shortly thereafter. An extensive federal investigation did not lead to any charges. . Some of these things are simply assumed to be factual, Baird said. Immediately after being released at a post-trial hearing, McElroy went to the D&G Tavern, a local bar, with an M1 Garand rifle with a bayonet attached, and made graphic threats about what he would do to Bo Bowenkamp. Get out of town, they said. The people of the town keep their heads down and prefer to not speak about the incident. 1 or 2 men (unclear) took guns and shot Ken Rex McElroy dead in his truck. Alas, the victory was short-lived. They had to look out for themselves. The witnesses all claimed they had seen nothing. Ken McElroy died in a hail of gunfire on the morning of July 10, 1981, while sitting in his truck outside a local tavern. McFadin, McElroys lawyer, got the hearing postponed. Weighing in at approximately 270 pounds with bushy black sideburns, McElroy held the entire . 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. The Story Of Ken McElroy The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town. Ken had 13 siblings: Hershell Eugene McElroy, Orvil O McElroy and 11 . The courts would not help us or Skidmore. Never miss a story by signing up for the newsletter now. Dozens of them gathered at Skidmores American Legion hall on the morning of July 10, 1981. He made no deathbed confession, but someone wrote in a memorial tribute that he . Anyone can read what you share. In Broad Daylight by Harry N. MacLean / Via. Evelyn tried to explain what had happened, that nobody had accused the children of stealing, and Trena said, Why would my effing daughter lie? . The townsfolk were infuriated. 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! Best client I ever had, McFadin said in an interview. McElroy eventually left the tavern and got into his pickup truck with his wife, but the mob of people followed the pair outside. MacLean doesnt believe the men gathered at the Legion hall that morning ever made a group decision to kill McElroy. He quit.. 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. Ken is later charged and arrested. 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. Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! Case #8: the Mysterious Death of Ken Rex Mcelroy If you were to go to Skidmore today, there isn't much to see. Boyer was among the first responders to arrive outside the D&G tavern where McElroy was ambushed. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. It's hard to believe that this small town was once a bustlingcommunity. McElroy denied he was at the scene. Everyone was so uncomfortable and scared.. McElroy was never a popular man. And his deeds were as daunting as his appearance. Like so many other small towns, Skidmore has shrunk inside itself, watching businesses close and residents depart. She eventually filed a wrongful death against the town, the county, and some citizens but the matter was settled out of court. Everyone in town seemed to know McElroy had done it, yet he spent only a single night in jail for nearly killing the man. 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 Vigilantemurder of Ken Rex McElroy still remains a mystery today. Another was McElroys intimidation tactics, MacLean writes. He reportedly began stalking the Bowenkamp family. If those responsible for killing McElroy are vigilantes, its because the justice system made them that way, Monte said. 1964: Ken meets another girlfriend named Alice Wood. Dec. 15, 2010. The citizens decided to go to the tavern en masse. In July 1976, McElroy pulled a shotgun on farmer Romaine Henry and shot the man in the stomach. More awful crimes have taken place in the small town. Then you can read about chilling cold cases where the murderers and victims were both unknown. However, he was also charged with various crimes. He grew up hearing the story. The justice system just crashed and burned over this case.. Richard Stratton was ready. He would intimidate anyone who got in his way, usually by repeatedly harassing them or threatening them with a bullet. McElroy allegedly stole livestock, grain, gasoline, and antiques. 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. Bullet casings from two different guns were found. 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. 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. His eyes just really put you in defense modehe really looked like a mean person.. There were as many as 60 witnesses, yet the crime remains unsolved. When the shooting ended, McElroy was slumped over the steering wheel. 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. There wasn't much parental supervision, but McElroy had a knack for taking care of himself. There wasnt much parental supervision, but McElroy had a knack for taking care of himself. What started with hunting raccoons escalated into petty crime until McElroy ultimately emerged as a full-fledged criminal. 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.