The incident received world wide press coverage, was the subject of a tv movie and a book. On of his hands came to him one afternoon and reported that someone was on the property shooting a firearm. However, there was more to Ken Rex than his size. GREAT NEWS! McElroy was arrested on assault charges, but Alices stepfather would need to testify. SLAIN BULLY'S TOWN LOOKS BACK WITHOUT PITY Database with images. based on information from your browser. Many wondered: Why didnt Baird press charges against the man Trena McElroy fingered as her husbands killer? He neutralized an entire criminal justice system.. The justice system had failed them once again. She died of cancer in 2012 at the age of just 55. They know how everybody thinks.. Tony and Mabel were uneducated, and spent the early years of their marriage moving around Missouri and Kansas working as tenant farmers before eventually settling outside of Skidmore in Nodaway County. Eventually, after an altercation at a bar during which McElroy threatened him with a shotgun, Alices stepfather dropped the assault charges. Try again later. No one was ever accused of shoplifting, or stealing. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. 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. He lived to satisfy his own desires, and abided by his own sense of self-serving justice. Am looking forward to your next post and the pictures you spoke of. But if tried by a jury of their peers, I doubt anybody around here would have convicted the shooters. The older daughter paid for her items, but as they were leaving, the younger daughter grabbed some candy out of a jar and headed for the door. You know how he oppressed and threatened us. That they had guns at the ready wasnt unusual. Please enter your email and password to sign in. McElroy had just finished another stint at a local tavern when he stumbled back into his pickup truck. Debbie Ann McElroy, age 54 of Conway, Missouri, passed away Sunday, June 14, 2020 at her home in Conway. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. 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. People Projects Discussions Surnames Sorry! 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. Much of his cash, however, went to Richard Gene McFadin, his lawyer. Trena, who was twenty-three by this time, began yelling at the clerk, which drew the attention of the stores owners, Ernst and Lois Bowenkamp. Learn more about merges. A federal grand jury was convened. She was born July 5, 1965 in Skidmore, Mo. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroys killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. This is a carousel with slides. When the driver pulled the bus over, Ken Rex would demand that he open the door and let Trena out so that she could get in his pickup truck with him. 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. When he caught up to the bus, Ken Rex would start honking his horn and driving up to the window where the bus driver could get a good look at him. If those responsible for killing McElroy are vigilantes, its because the justice system made them that way, Monte said. Sally had three children with McElroy and Sharon had another two. Not only that, they recommended he spend no more than two years in prison. The Story of the trials, life and death of Ken Rex McElroy and the Town of Skidmore, Missouri. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. 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. Every school has a bully or bullies, and every small town has that family or families. McElroy Williams. He forced the two women and the children into his truck and drove them back to the farmhouse. One assumption Skidmore hasnt been able to shed is that McElroys killing was an act of vigilante justice. Lois soon became fed up and told the McElroys to leave the store and never come back. The Bowenkamps, who were in their early seventies at the time, tried their best to carry on with life as normal. This is the story of a man that terrorized an entire community. Bully's Death Unsolved Five Years Later Despite Dozens of 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. Horton, Brown County, Kansas, USA. As the author of In Broad Daylight, I draw plenty of attention whenever Im in Skidmore, or Maryville, or anywhere in Nodaway County. Murder is still murder. This is when the rage amongst locals reached boiling point. Somebody opened the passenger door and pulled Trena out of the truck and into another building nearby. His first wife, Sharon, was fifteen when they met, while McElroy was at least twenty. A lot of old timers complain that they dont know many of the other residents, a lot of whom work in surrounding communities. The son of a bitch would just as soon shoot them as anyone else.. He didnt just like being with many women, he did have a type, young girls. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Nobody tried to hang them for finding a way to kill a germ. The metallic smell of his own blood consumed the cab of the pickup truck. The attending physician was so appalled at the beating that the underage girl had taken and the history of abuse that she gave, family services was called in and took the girl into custody. When the meeting ended, the group made their way across the street to the tavern to confront McElroy. But Skidmore is still Skidmore. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? However, the outcome of the conviction was a slap in the face for Bo and Lois Bowenkamp. CASE #8: THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF KEN REX MCELROY 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. Who Killed Ken Rex McElroy: Town Keeps Its Secret For 38 Years Davis 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. Add to your scrapbook. , Death. Oops, we were unable to send the email. She had seen a man named Del Clement (the co-owner of the D&G Tavern) standing across the street with a rifle, at which point she told Ken they needed to get out of there because he was going to get shot. ''No,'' he said. The law had plenty of chances, plenty of times to lock him up., Added Monte: Justice failed everybody. Anyone can read what you share. 3PL . . cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. Search. This is a carousel with slides. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. McElroy for years had terrorized the small town of Skidmore Missouri, and was considered the town bully. In April 1980, two of McElroys daughters were shopping at a local corner store. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Everyone just went home. He accused Romaine Henry of being a dirty S.O.B. and said that Henry had been at his place in a white Pontiac. . Skidmore looks different. Burial. One man said to an officer examining the scene: What are you doing here? British Newspaper Archives, Obituaries July 10, 1981, his reign of terror came to an end. The law wasnt going to help the people of Skidmore. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. 'A Really Nice Truck', ''It's really a shame about the Silverado,'' said Dave Dunbar, a former marshal who said Mr. McElroy once threatened him with a highpowered rifle. A system error has occurred. Search above to list available cemeteries. , [ : (, )] GREAT NEWS! In fact, anywhere between thirty and ninety people witnessed the shooting of the 270lb brute of a man on that hot July day in 1981. McElroy was acquitted, thanks to his talented attorney. Longstanding Grudges. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Please reset your password. 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 was 18 and Oleta was 16. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Kenneth Rex McElroy "Bully" Murder - Getty Images 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. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21971/ken-rex-mcelroy. There was a kind of silent charity on the part of my parents, and they never prosecuted. The Story Of Ken McElroy, The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town 4. 24 Jan 1957. 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. '', People are friendly and smiling on first acquaintance but quickly withdraw or become guarded when the McElroy case is brought up. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Then one day, McElroy drove to the corner store, found Bo Bowenkamp around the back, and shot him in the neck. The McElroys eventually left the store, but when Bowenkamp closed up that night, he was outside, waiting. Ken Rex grew into a large and intimidating figure. By his teens, McElroy became known as the town bully of Skidmore, notorious for his cruel treatment of anyone who dared challenge him. 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. In the end, fear is what killed him, Goslee said. Despite two grand jury investigations, no one has been charged in the killing. Born in 1934 the fifteenth of sixteen children McElroy dropped out of school by the time he hit fifth grade and spent the They worked as sharecroppers and moved often before settling in Skidmore. No one else corroborated Trenas story. Last Names. ''There were a couple of bangs,'' said Mr. Hartman, whose office is near the tavern, ''and at first I thought it was firecrackers. We might not see him for three or four days, and then wed see him every day for weeks, Monte said. Year. But of course, McElroy filed an appeal of his conviction, and was let out on $40,000 bond while his appeal was pending. McElroy was charged with arson, rape and brandishing a deadly weapon. A system error has occurred. ''Everybody knows what the next guy is saying and doing,'' said one investigator. Kenneth M. McElroy, 60, of Butler passed away Tuesday at Butler Memorial Hospital. But it was too late. Just a single name can cause a physical reaction when uttered out loud in a room filled with those in the know. 'No One Saw a Thing': A town torn apart by 38 years of violence Now that the hearing had been delayed, and McElroy no doubt knew who the witnesses were, the entire town felt a sense of impending doom about what was to come. They talked about the bail bond that allowed Mr. McElroy to circulate freely after an assault conviction for shooting an elderly grocer, Ernest Bowenkamp. Verify and try again. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. With the businesses gone, the Punkin Festival defunct, it has little vibrancy. Please try again later. We didnt have sufficient evidence to go to trial.. 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. Nearly 30 years of '', Mr. McElroy was widely regarded as an armed tough who stole livestock and anything else he could. McElroy dropped out of school in the eighth grade. Despite the facts, the residents of Skidmore, MO, weren't so eager to talk TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Try again later. Women had a harder time with it than the men. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Brace yourselves. There was an error deleting this problem. Before I left on my trip to Skidmore, I wondered on this blog if I would encounter any difficulty with local residents who had recently expressed concern, to put it lightly, over my characterization of shooter Del Clement as a short, hot-tempered drunk. Oops, we were unable to send the email. This part is a rollercoaster. 20 Residents seem more resentful, less willing to talk. On July 10th, 1981 Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in the street in broad daylight infront of 60 witnesses. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. However, he had gotten away with all of them. Ken Rex McElroy (1934-1981) - Find a Grave Memorial Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Dunbar talked to him, and [McElroy] pulled a gun on him, Monte said. Many speculate that this traumatic injury was a cause of his volatility and aggression later in life. FBI Closes Inquiry Into the Killing of a Town Bully 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. The Story of the trials, life and death of Ken Rex McElroy and the Town of Skidmore, Missouri. Behind those eyes laid the cold, calm embrace of violence and death that wrote his biography. Investigators dug and dug, but Skidmore residents maintained their silence. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Several of those who observed the shooting were standing in front of the station, which is just a few yards up the hill from where the riflemen were standing. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 July 10, 1981) was an American criminal and convicted attempted murderer who resided in Skidmore, Missouri, United States. Heavy lids veiled cold, steel-blue eyes, making them look like half moons. Each time anyone brought charges against him (which happened a total of twenty-one times), he would intimidate his accusers into dropping the charges, leaving them terrified and fearing for their lives. From talking to witnesses, he concluded that the killing of McElroy was not planned. Failed to report flower. Required fields are marked *. This is a collaborative project with FindMyPast.com. Trena McElroy remarried and had a fairly normal life, refusing interviews after she left Skidmore. They became disenchanted with the legal processes, yet frightened by Mr. McElroy's volatile disposition. McElroy tracked the women down, beat them both severely, and brought them home. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Trena McCloud first caught Ken Rex McElroys eye when she was twelve years old. Place. Failed to delete memorial. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Bo survived, McElroy was arrestedbut he got out on bail, and began harassing the officer who arrested him, Richard Stratton. When she was fourteen, Trena got pregnant. No one bothered to turn it off. There was a problem getting your location. Thanks for your help! To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. In the plainspoken manner of speaking in Skidmore, McElroy simply needed killing, like a gangrened leg needs to be severed to save the whole body. It failed McElroy, too, because it failed to protect him from himself. Not one of them felt bad. The sheriff said, If you have to shoot him, let us know and well come get him before he starts stinking, Monte said. 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. . The guns were never recovered. WebKenneth Rex McElroy "Bully" Murder AS her daughter Tami listens, Trena McElroy retells how she watched her husband's life shot away by a man she and her attorney describe Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. However, he lived only to experience the next chapter in the saga of being a victim of Ken Rex McElroy. When you park in front of the old D & G. McElroy may have been shot there 30 years ago (next July), but in some ways it could have been last July. With the charges still looming over him, Ken Rex acted fast. Dozens of them gathered at Skidmores American Legion hall on the morning of July 10, 1981. He was struck by bullets from at least two ''I can't think that anyone feels any different than you would about the people who invented penicillin. The older girl snatched the candy from the younger girl, threw it back in the jar, grabbed her little sisters hand and barged out the door. McElroy knew that how to hedge his bets and he did just that when he hired Richard McFadin, a well-known and regarded criminal defense attorney from the Kansas City area. It was widely reported that he was illiterate, but he did not let this hold him back from getting what he wanted in life. Oops, something didn't work. Try again. He had been charged with more than 20 felonies, robbing, raping, burning, shootings. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. 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. 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. They know the story of Ken McElroy, but they werent here when it happened. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. 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. Imagine what McElroy would make of that: a college graduate for a son. Just as he was taking his first drag, the sound of two gunshots rang out. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. ''And I wouldn't tell you if I did.'' The townspeople organized a caravan to escort the witnesses to the hearing both to protect them and to show solidarity. The charges came as a result of what Trena had told the police. McElroy was spinning so hard out of control, I have no doubt he would have tried to kill my dad again, given the chance. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Needless to say, McElroy was having none of this. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. We went to the courts. At over six-feet tall and nearly 300 pounds he was a formidable presence by sight alone. A deer slug in one chamber tore through Bowenkamps neck, coming within 3 inches of his head. As far as I could find, McElroy was married three times. There just wouldnt have been a story.. Says a Long, Silent Thank-You, Unsolved 'Vigilante' Murder in the Heartland: Missouri Town Goes Quiet After Bully Is Shot, The Unsolved Murder of Missouri Town Bully Ken Rex McElroy: 'No One Saw a Thing', Skidmore, Part Three - The Murder of Ken Rex McElroy, The Unsolved Murder of Missouri Town Bully Ken Rex McElroy: 'No One Saw a Thing'. No, he would dutifully pull the bus over and offer her up, no doubt justifying his action by touting the safety of the other students as well as his own. She said her dad told her that del clement lived a rather miserable life after this happened. This is far from what happened in the case of McElroy. This browser does not support getting your location. 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. In Broad Daylight (source: harrymaclean.com). Again, there were no indictments, and the McElroy murder case was tossed back to Baird. Last summer he was killed in a barrage of gunfire after climbing into his air-conditioned Silverado pickup truck, with his wife Trena and a six-pack of beer at his side. Injured at work? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. They know the story of Ken McElroy, but they werent here when it happened. Debbie Ann McElroy ERP McElroy, known as 'Kenrex' by his friends and his enemies, had an extensive arrest record. The McElroys never had any money. Since the killing, the town has been besieged with reporters and investigators. Trena had to go to hospital for the injuries she had suffered at the hands of McElroy. So what was left?. His conviction was for second-degree assault and he was sentenced to just two years - for shooting someone in the neck. He had steel blue eyes that would bore a hole right through you. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the strangest instances investigators ever saw. Although Ken Rex was married to his second wife Alice, he could not help but notice the pretty girl with long blonde locks. WebGenealogy for Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1982) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. You dont have a town full of people who were hiding a guilty conscience, he said. This leaves three Clement boys.). This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. He was the 15th child of 16 born to Tony and Mabel McElroy. A lot of them didnt even tell their wives and children. By some miracle Romaine Henry lived. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. McElroy started his pickup and the sound of shots pierced the silence. A couple of men hustled Trena to a nearby bank, away from the gunfire. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Its called the Outcast Cafe, and is big and clean and cheap. Seventy-five or so people gathered at the Sam R. Albright American Legion Hall on July 10, 1981, to discuss what could be done. He waved the gun around inside the tavern, proclaiming that he was going to finish off Bo Bowenkamp. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Both were fuming over the seemingly insignificant incident. '', See the article in its original context from. He returned when Trenas parents were away, shot the family dog and burned down the house. The shot violently ripped Romaine Henrys stomach opened, the right side of his body peeling away and laying across his lap. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel.
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