This browser does not support getting your location. As the author of In Broad Daylight, I draw plenty of attention whenever Im in Skidmore, or Maryville, or anywhere in Nodaway County. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. It has been a year since Kenneth Rex McElroy, described as the town bully, was shot to death on the main street of this farming community. He liked young underage girls starting around twelve to fourteen. Some of these things are simply assumed to be factual, Baird said. No one called for an ambulance. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? McElroy got a divorce from Sharon (or Alice, honestly Im not sure who he was married to at the time) and married Trena so that she would not be compelled to testify against him. He was known as "the town bully", and his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. The clerk thought nothing more of it, until Ken and Trena McElroy showed up. We have set your language to Try again later. 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. 31 Mar. She let it be known that she had gone ''somewhere in Missouri'' because someone might try to kill her. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. It failed McElroy, too, because it failed to protect him from himself. spur of the moment that got completely out of hand how do I know I was one of the people who witnessed the killing , or as some people say , murder all of us took an oath , the shooters & the other witnesss .it was surreal as to what happened he sat their [in his pickup truck] , just like in the movie calmly & looked in his mirror to see the crowd behind him , he knew I believed that it was the end for him & that he was about to die , no way in hell was that crowd letting him leave. Verify and try again. The Bowenkamps, who were in their early seventies at the time, tried their best to carry on with life as normal. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. It was a misunderstanding, but one that made the Bowenkamps lives a living hell for months. He quickly divorced Alice, then drove Trena to Kansas and married her to avoid conviction of statutory rape. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Someone warned her, Youre about to meet Ken Rex McElroy, Monte said. Mr. McElroy was hit in the head and neck. Actually, I think those shooters saved lives in the end, she said. He relied on witness intimidation to prove his innocence, and he was a master at it. For the first time in his life, McElroy was actually convicted of a crime. But right now, we don't have the evidence. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Del Clement has since died, and he never confessed. 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. One assumption Skidmore hasnt been able to shed is that McElroys killing was an act of vigilante justice. Few residents seem to care. McElroy started his pickup and the sound of shots pierced the silence. By the time the word came that Mr. McElroy was at the D & G Tavern, tempers were hotter. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. They became disenchanted with the legal processes, yet frightened by Mr. McElroy's volatile disposition. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Evelyn tried to explain what had happened, that nobody had accused the children of stealing, and Trena said, Why would my effing daughter lie? . Am looking forward to your next post and the pictures you spoke of. They felt a sense of safety in numbers. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Debbie Ann McElroy CASE #8: THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF KEN REX MCELROY Nearly 30 years of silence about the killing of a bully - STLtoday.com But it was too late. Fidelity wasnt a strong suit of Ken Rex, or of any interest to him at all for that matter. Somebody was going to get killed. They know the story of Ken McElroy, but they werent here when it happened. (This was Dels mother, Barbara Clement, who died herself just a month or so before my visit. If those responsible for killing McElroy are vigilantes, its because the justice system made them that way, Monte said. 2. Once, he even got out and fired a shotgun up in the pine tree by their house. He didnt just like being with many women, he did have a type, young girls. 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. Beside him was his wife, Trena. Henry survived, and unlike the majority of McElroys other victims, actually went on to testify in court against him. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. McFadin was creating delay after delay in order to prevent the case from going to trial, and time was all that Ken Rex needed in order to avoid facing a jury. Calling the sheriff about his threats was risk few were willing to take not that it would have done much good, Goslee said. I have a feeling his neighbors would have described him somewhat differently. He knew which people to pick on the weak people and he followed through on his threats just often enough to make people believe he was going to do what he said he was going to do. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. This account has been disabled. This is when the rage amongst locals reached boiling point. Every school has a bully or bullies, and every small town has that family or families. The two came out from the back of the store, also becoming subject to the couples ranting. SKIDMORE, MO Four decades after Ken Rex McElroy was gunned down on the main drag of Skidmore, Missouri, in one of America's 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. Failed to report flower. There just wouldnt have been a story.. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Skidmore is a town of 440 people, 80 miles northwest of Kansas City. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. McElroy dropped out of school in the eighth grade. If they thought it was getting too out of hand, they would send one of us up and down the aisle. There was an error deleting this problem. Its owned and run by newcomers. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroys killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. 20, , 40 , Just a single name can cause a physical reaction when uttered out loud in a room filled with those in the know. SLAIN BULLY'S TOWN LOOKS BACK WITHOUT PITY They know how everybody thinks.. July 10, 1981, his reign of terror came to an end. A shotgun in his hands, Ken Rex turned toward the truck as it approached. In Part II we will learn more about the incident that would make Skidmore Missouri and Ken Rex McElroy a national news story and a mystery that stills haunts the town nearly forty years later. The Story of the trials, life and death of Ken Rex McElroy and the Town of Skidmore, Missouri. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. We went to the courts. McElroy moved Sally onto the family farm with Sharon and their two children. Recent leaks into killing of town bully Ken Rex McElroy - Reddit His foot fell to the accelerator when he was shot, causing the engine to run at full bore. While driving down a gravel farm road that abutted his property, Henry came upon a figure and a vehicle that he recognized instantly, Ken Rex McElroy. 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. Evelyn lived cross the street, and he made sure she could see them. Women had a harder time with it than the men. He ruled with an iron fist, inciting fear and causing a persistent sense of dread amongst townsfolk. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1982) - Genealogy just happened . But if tried by a jury of their peers, I doubt anybody around here would have convicted the shooters. In Broad Daylight Classic Print Edition. 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. They know the story of Ken McElroy, but they werent here when it happened. 3PL . 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. He spent the night in jail before posting bond, then sauntered menacingly back into the D&G tavern and pool hall and took his usual spot. ; Oleta McElroy-Anderson of Conway, Tammy Wertenberger of St. Joseph, Teresa Dorris of Helena, Mo. McElroy soon bored of Sharon, Sally and his seven children, and found another underage girl, Alice Wood, who is widely referred to as McElroys second wife. McElroy died at the scene, surrounded by the people he had terrorised for decades. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. I was a witness , not a shooter we all talked & took a vow of silence , NO MATTER WHAT to our death bed. Dunbar talked to him, and [McElroy] pulled a gun on him, Monte said. I went to his gravesite a few years after he died , & took a piss on his grave, thats how much I thought of him", https://www.harrymaclean.com/blog/no-death-bed-confession/. Ken Rex McElroy was shot in broad daylight on July 10, 1981, as he sat with his wife, Trina, in the front seat of their pickup truck in Skidmore. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. She was born July 5, 1965 in Skidmore, Mo. Make sure that the file is a photo. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. It went beyond just hammering people and being mean-spirited. Then one day, McElroy drove to the corner store, found Bo Bowenkamp around the back, and shot him in the neck. 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. He had steel blue eyes that would bore a hole right through you. 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. McFadin, McElroys lawyer, got the hearing postponed. He was 47 years old. Yes, that would make him Ken McElroys grandson. Ken was my grandfather derome was my father Im deromes oldest my mother is trace I wish I could of meet my grandfather An understandable wish. Im sure youve heard many good and bad things about him. Tony , I am your aunt Tina your dad is my brother . I havent seen you since you was about 2. He was very cunning, MacLean told Patch. Later, she moved to Conway to be near her sister.She is survived by two sons, Wendell Cole and Bobby McElroy, both of Kansas City, Kansas; three grandchildren, Seleah, Malachi and Malik; her mother, Sharon Wilhoit of Helena, Mo. 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. You feel it when you drive into town. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. By 14 years old Trena was pregnant with their first child. The Tavern, a quonset hut set on a cement floor, stunk irredeemably of grease from all the burgers fried up in there over the years. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Ken Rex McElroy I found on Findagrave.com. There was a kind of silent charity on the part of my parents, and they never prosecuted. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 July 10, 1981) was an American criminal and convicted attempted murderer who resided in Skidmore, Missouri, United States. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. While parked in front of the D & G Tavern on Main Street, in broad daylight, with a crowd estimated at 45 people around his pickup truck, Ken McElroy was shot in the head with a high powered rifle, while his wife sat in the seat beside him. The other charges against Ken Rex would be dropped because the case was impossible to prove without either Alice or Trena testifying, and by this time both women were refusing to. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. When you didnt know where he was, you didnt dare take the chance of not being on your guard.. Verify and try again. 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. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Debbie Ann McElroy I found on Findagrave.com. 1. But they continued and I ducked. The children had little parental supervision, and for the most part ran free around town. 24 Jan 2012 (aged 55) Conway, Laclede County, Missouri, USA. Enraged by Alice leaving with his son, McElroy called the home and began threatening Alice and her family. Someone had to put an end to it. McElroy had been indicted a total of 21 times for crimes such as: child molestation, arson, cattle rustling, and stealing. In order to stop him from doing so, McElroy carried on with his usual scare tactics he told him he would kill his entire family if he testified, followed him and sat outside his house for hours. Despite two grand jury investigations, no one has been charged in the killing. McWilliams Media Tulsa, OK Website Design. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Skidmore is down from 450 (when I was there) to 325. U.S., Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection, 1847-Current, U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Ken McElroy MacLean told Inside Edition: Whatever had been done might not be morally right, but he needed killing. 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.
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