He then returned to Trena's parents' home when they were away and, once again, shot the family dog and burned the house down. Mr. McElroy was quickly rearrested after he appeared in town with a rifle, but he was again released. In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. [2][3] In 1981, McElroy was convicted of attempted murder in the shooting of the town's 70-year-old grocer Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. In fact, anywhere between thirty and ninety people witnessed the . Ken Rex McElroy was an American known as "the town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri. 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. Vigilante justice is certainly a slippery slope, but after years of dealing with Ken McElroy, the people of Skidmore reached their boiling point. No One Saw A Thing centers around the 1981 murder of Ken Rex McElroy in Skidmore Missouri and other crimes committed in the town and surrounding area over the years. McCloud attempted to escape to her parents' house, but McElroy allegedly responded by burning down Trena's parents' home and shooting their dog. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. Best client I ever had, McFadin said in an interview. Another was McElroys intimidation tactics, MacLean writes. Someone shot at McElroy while he was sitting in his truck. It was a sunny, clear summer day. In 1981, McElroy was convicted of shooting . However, an incident would occur in 1980 that changed everything. 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. Born in 1934, Ken Rex McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. That was the last failure of criminal justice.. It's said the county's law enforcement officials were afraid of encountering McElroy, who was known to be heavily armed. The people of the town keep their heads down and prefer to not speak about the incident. The guns were never recovered. Those who spoke out were taciturn. McElroy for the most part escaped prosecution and, certainly, conviction for various crimes. The Tylenol Murders: Is It Too Late to Solve the Famous Cold Case? 1954: While working for his sister's husband in construction, McElroy suffers a traumatic head injury that leaves him with lifelong pain. Investigators dug and dug, but Skidmore residents maintained their silence. He quit.. Ken McElroy was shot to death on the main street of Skidmore in July 1981, in front of 45 witnesses. 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. We were so bitter and so angry at the law letting us down that it came to somebody taking matters in their own hands, said Bowenkamps daughter, Cheryl Huston. Maryville, Missouri, lawyer David Baird, the Nodaway County prosecutor at the time, said the crime is fairly unremarkable in the context of current-day gang shootings witnessed by many, but seen by few willing to risk their safety by ratting out the crew. There has been books written, movies, documentaries and more made about the killing. In all, there were 46 potential witnesses to the shooting, including Trena McElroy, who was in the truck with her husband when he was shot. The rumor was that he had drowned her father in a bathtub when he had objected to what he was doing to his daughter. [2], In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. As the case dragged on without a court date, Henry said McElroy had parked outside his home at least 100 times. Few were criticized as mightily as Baird over the lack of prosecution in McElroys murder. 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. YouTubeThe towns local bar in Skidmore, Missouri. He was sure it was Mr. McElroy who had done the shooting. One night after he pulled a speeding pickup truck over, Boyer came face to face with McElroy. 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. It failed McElroy, too, because it failed to protect him from himself. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Nobody wanted to talk to us, retired Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Boyer tells A&E True Crime. The meeting's entire purpose was to discuss what they could legally do to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. The murder of Ken Rex McElroy took place in plain view of dozens of residents of this small farm town, under the glare of the morning sun. 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 shot at several times and hit twice, once by a centerfire rifle and once by a .22 rimfire rifle. What set off McElroy and put the local grocer in his crosshairs was the pettiest of offenses. Many buildings are closed and falling apart. Everyone was keeping an eye on us. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroys killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. He testified that Bowenkamp attacked him with a knife and he acted in self-defense, MacLean writes. He didnt have a bank account, didnt have a Social Security number, he didnt read. A federal grand jury was convened. 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. How did this uneducated person how is he able to outwit the criminal justice system for 20 years? said MacLean. Trena McElroy remarried and had a fairly normal life, refusing interviews after she left Skidmore. The murder occurred in broad daylight, with as many as sixty eye-witnesses present . 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. 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 1934-1981. He showed up to the towns local bar, armed with a rifle and bayonet, threatening to kill the elderly grocer. I dont know what happened,' Boyer recalls witnesses saying. This past weekend marked the 40th anniversary of the killing of Ken Rex McElroy of Skidmore. What happened in Skidmore that day wasnt much different than the completely predictable result from shaking a carbonated beverage until the top finally blows. Richard McFadin, 87, a lawyer, now retired, who represented Mr. McElroy in numerous cases and, after the killing, his widow, said he believed there was enough evidence for a prosecution. 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. The bar soon filled completely. On a steamy Missouri morning of July 10, 1981, a gunman took aim at the 47-year-old as he sat smoking in his Silverado pickup truck outside the local bar. 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. On July 10th, 1981 Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in the street in broad daylight infront of 60 witnesses. Over the next two years, three grand juries were empaneled and testimony taken. He was accused or suspected of dozens of crimes, including theft, livestock rustling, burglary, arson, assault, rape, and child molestation. They just went stone silent. Ken Rex McElroy was an American known as "the town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. Henry survived and McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill. They know how everybody thinks.. [1] To date, no one has been charged in connection with McElroy's death. Everyone was so uncomfortable and scared.. Refusing to argue, he and Lois went home. According to court records, McElroy tracked them down and brought them back. They settle in Skidmore. McElroy made a living leasing land near his farm, and trading and racing dogs. McElroy raped a 12-year-old girl and, to avoid statutory rape charges, he divorced his wife at the time and married the child when she was 14 and pregnant with their baby. Estes, the sheriff some tried to implicate in a conspiracy, is dead. When the call went out, State Police Cpl. In 1980, one of McElroy's children got into an argument with a clerk, Evelyn Sumy, in a local grocery store owned by 70-year-old Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp and his wife Lois, allegedly because the young McElroy child tried to steal some candy. In July 1976, McElroy pulled a shotgun on farmer Romaine Henry and shot the man in the stomach. McElroy divorced Alice and married Trena in order to escape charges of statutory rape, to which she was the only witness. Im never going to answer that question. She was present at the time of his death. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . McElroy was in town and behaving belligerently. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He was nonplussed. 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. When the shooting ended, McElroy was slumped over the steering wheel. Witnessing the murder were McElroys wife, Trena, screaming in the passenger seat and dozens of local residents. He leaves Sharon to move in with Alice. Shortly after being released, McElroy was at D&G Tavern making threats about murdering Bowenkamp. Never miss a story by signing up for the newsletter now. Perversely, the towns share of tragedy has grown. E-mail: ramzywritersofficial@gmail.com. The local major-cases squad investigated, then the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A conviction should have been a victory for the people of Skidmore, but the jury set a maximum sentence of two years, and the judge, without protest from Mr. Baird, released Mr. McElroy on bond pending appeal.
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