McElroy was in town and behaving belligerently. McElroy and Trena got up without saying a word, pushing their way through the crowd towards the exit. cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He showed back up in front of their house that night, and he and Trena sat there and watched them, Monte said. But there was no reason to go looking for trouble. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Failed to delete memorial. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. First Names. They worked as sharecroppers and moved often before settling in Skidmore. Who Killed Ken Rex McElroy: Town Keeps Its Secret For 38 Years WebGenealogy for Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1982) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. True Crime and the Satisfaction of the Unsolved Mystery A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. But if tried by a jury of their peers, I doubt anybody around here would have convicted the shooters. I said it in 1981, and Ill say it now, Baird told Patch. He was 47 years old. ; six sisters, Tina Chapman of Savannah, Mo. You feel it when you drive into town. A couple of times, he got out of the truck and fired his shotgun into the air - all this over a couple pieces of candy. He lived to satisfy his own desires, and abided by his own sense of self-serving justice. A hearing was scheduled, in which the witnesses would testify that they had seen McElroy in the bar in possession of a loaded weapon. 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. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. On leaving school (and likely even before) McElroy began stealing items such as antiques, alcohol, grain and gasoline. Born in 1934 the fifteenth of sixteen children McElroy dropped out of school by the time he hit fifth grade and spent the A federal grand jury was convened. Recent leaks into killing of town bully Ken Rex McElroy - Reddit For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. You dont have a town full of people who were hiding a guilty conscience, he said. WebGenealogy for Ken Rex McElroy (1934 - 1982) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. When Estes and state troopers arrived back in town, the streets were empty and quiet, save the rumbling, smoking engine of McElroys truck. 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. Trena McElroy remarried and had a fairly normal life, refusing interviews after she left Skidmore. 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. The Story of the trials, life and death of Ken Rex McElroy and the Town of Skidmore, Missouri. 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. '', See the article in its original context from. Search above to list available cemeteries. just happened . Ken Rex McElroy The mainstreet is eerily quiet in mid-morning. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. I have a feeling his neighbors would have described him somewhat differently. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. His conviction was for second-degree assault and he was sentenced to just two years - for shooting someone in the neck. Before driving away, McElroy stopped to light a cigarette. Davis 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. She was preceded in death by her father. Am looking forward to your next post and the pictures you spoke of. 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. The charges came as a result of what Trena had told the police. After giving birth, Trena and Alice, exhausted from living in constant fear of McElroy, took their children and left the McElroy farm to live with Trenas parents. 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/. 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. McElroy escaped jail on an appeal bond and could remain free until he exhausted his appeals, free to taunt his victims with what had become painfully clear: He would never go to jail. 6. She was taken to a foster home in Maryville with the couples baby. Add to your scrapbook. Failed to delete flower. ). Try again later. Drag images here or select from your computer for Debbie Ann McElroy memorial. In the summer of 1981, a jury handed McElroy his first-ever felony conviction for the lesser charge of second-degree assault. The more McElroy got away with, the more it seemed as though he was exempt from the law. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Skidmore is a town of 440 people, 80 miles northwest of Kansas City. . MacLean doesnt believe the men gathered at the Legion hall that morning ever made a group decision to kill McElroy. He was literally untouchable right up until the day he wasnt. They became disenchanted with the legal processes, yet frightened by Mr. McElroy's volatile disposition. She ended up dropping the charges. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. The clerk thought nothing more of it, until Ken and Trena McElroy showed up. He didnt just like being with many women, he did have a type, young girls. Skidmore is down from 450 (when I was there) to 325. Trena Louise McNeeley McElroy Williams (1957-2012) - Find a Once, he even got out and fired a shotgun up in the pine tree by their house. , . Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Kenneth McElroy Obituary An outsider has taken to buying residences, and storing tremendous amounts of junk in the yards. No one else corroborated Trenas story. Trena McCloud's Civil Suit Against Skidmore, Missouri Revealed No one was ever accused of shoplifting, or stealing. Weve updated the security on the site. By the time the word came that Mr. McElroy was at the D & G Tavern, tempers were hotter. He was known as "the town bully", and his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. It sounded like the Wild West out there.''. Before you tell yourself the case closed, no, this case or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. After the photos. Refusing to argue, he and Lois went home. System , , . Will people who were there start to leak information as time goes on? Resend Activation Email. Failed to report flower. 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. Hed leave, then hed come back, Monte said. 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. 20 Not a one of 'em felt sorry for him. No one bothered to turn it off. Even after all that had happened between McElroy and her family, Alice moved back into the McElroy family home with her son. However, most of his sexual affairs werent with women, but rather underage girls, with whom he collectively had at least ten children. He was a womanizer, too. They left, but for McElroy, it wasnt over. Just as he was taking his first drag, the sound of two gunshots rang out. Born June 2, 1948, in Louisville, Ky., he was the son of the late C.C. Ken McElroy - Wikipedia Eventually, Sharon and McElroy had two children. Outsiders are spotted easily and watched warily. 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. They delivered messages in code. Born in Overland Park, Kansas, on June 1, 1934, McElroy was the fifteenth of Tony and Mabel McElroys sixteen children. The murder of Ken Rex McElroy isnt unsolved in the typical sense of the word. It wasnt long before he became a violent menace, his more serious crimes including rape, assault and child molestation. Faces turn away at a strangers approach. 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. Someone had to put an end to it. McElroy had just finished another stint at a local tavern when he stumbled back into his pickup truck. Adoption, paternity, divorce, or guardianship? True and tried, Ken Rexs tactics did work. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. When the meeting ended, the group made their way across the street to the tavern to confront McElroy. Trena McCloud first caught Ken Rex McElroys eye when she was twelve years old. They include the 1981 vigilante murder of town bully Ken Rex McElroy, whose killing by multiple gunmen was witnessed by dozens of residents, yet no one was Birth. ''I can't think that anyone feels any different than you would about the people who invented penicillin. Brace yourselves. This browser does not support getting your location. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Sorry! 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. . Anyone can read what you share. Sally had three children with McElroy and Sharon had another two. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Ken Rex McElroy I found on Findagrave.com. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. The next morning, people gathered once again, this time at the American Legion hall located across the street from the D&G Tavern. 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. Heavy lids veiled cold, steel-blue eyes, making them look like half moons. If those responsible for killing McElroy are vigilantes, its because the justice system made them that way, Monte said. 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 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. Skidmore residents were pleased that (some) justice was finally being served. On July 10th, 1981 Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in the street in broad daylight infront of 60 witnesses. Our story begins when Ken Rex courting his third and final wife, Trena McCloud. They were witnesses. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. A system error has occurred. With the businesses gone, the Punkin Festival defunct, it has little vibrancy. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. There was a problem getting your location. For years residents had watched Mr. McElroy, 47 years old at his death, wiggle out of one legal problem after another. McFadin was a highly skilled attorney who got McElroy off the hook time and time again. It wasnt that he was necessarily slick of sly in any way, he was a brute. 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. Thank you very much for the update on your recent trip. We might not see him for three or four days, and then wed see him every day for weeks, Monte said. Ken Rex grew into a large and intimidating figure. , [ : (, )] However, he lived only to experience the next chapter in the saga of being a victim of Ken Rex McElroy. However, the outcome of the conviction was a slap in the face for Bo and Lois Bowenkamp. 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. M Logitech Co., Ltd. On his release, McElroy strolled into the D&G Tavern, holding a rifle with a bayonet attached. Joyce Monte, daughter of injured grocer. Debbie Ann McElroy, age 54 of Conway, Missouri, passed away Sunday, June 14, 2020 at her home in Conway.She was born July 5, 1965 in Skidmore, Mo. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). They had to look out for themselves. . When either woman did raise his cheating as an issue, he simply beat them and tortured them as a reminder that they were not entitled to issues or the bringing of them up. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. They killed. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Many wondered: Why didnt Baird press charges against the man Trena McElroy fingered as her husbands killer? Im having trouble downloading the pictures, but should have them up soon. Trena McCloud went on to become Ken McElroys third wife ( lifedaily.com ). Needless to say, McElroy was having none of this. He went to Trenas parents home, where he viciously beat Trena and Alice, then burned the McCloud house to the ground. However, a new cafe opened across the street, in the old post office, in front of which the shooters were standing when they opened fire. 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. Every school has a bully or bullies, and every small town has that family or families. 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. Somebody opened the passenger door and pulled Trena out of the truck and into another building nearby. Fidelity wasnt a strong suit of Ken Rex, or of any interest to him at all for that matter. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Women had a harder time with it than the men. The courts would not help us or Skidmore. No one was surprised. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. It is widely accepted that he fired one of the guns that shot McElroy. Ken Rex McElroy did not limit his torture and abuse just to those who lived with him. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Two people decided in the midst of that whole incident theyd had enough, MacLean said. Your email address will not be published. based on information from your browser. How to Use This Collection. There was an error deleting this problem. When a wife a Ken Rex McElroy came into town with a black eye, or busted lip, or broken bones of all varieties, the townspeople were not likely to guess or wonder at what malevolence may have befallen the lady. Calling the sheriff about his threats was risk few were willing to take not that it would have done much good, Goslee said. Try again later. Try again later. Actually, I think those shooters saved lives in the end, she said. The townspeople resented the constant feeling of anxiety McElroys presence left them with. Eventually, after an altercation at a bar during which McElroy threatened him with a shotgun, Alices stepfather dropped the assault charges. You can always change this later in your Account settings. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. So is Stratton. 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. McElroy and Trena got into their truck. A clerk saw what happened and warned the girl that she better return the candy or pay for it. There are a bar, a grain elevator, a bank, Mom's Cafe, B & B Groceries and a hardware store, but agriculture is the main business. Nearly 30 years of After McElroy fired a gun outside her house, Evelyn Sumy appealed to Dave Dunbar, the town marshal. I was in and around Skidmore for three days and two nights, and encountered no trouble. Everyone in town seemed to know McElroy had done it, yet he spent only a single night in jail for nearly killing the man. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Failed to delete flower. To describe McElroy as intimidating is putting it lightly. Skidmore is down from 450 (when I was there) to 325. They surrounded McElroy, shouting at him that they had had enough and that his days were numbered. Required fields are marked *. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. And not too long ago, Sumys, a gas station and coffee shop since 1943, closed. The trucks windows were shattered; at least one of the bullets hit McElroy in the back of the head. They are our real life bogey men, and the fear that they give us also leaves us fascinated. I will soon post photos of my visit. Harry MacLean, author of the award winning book In Broad Daylight about the McElroy case, spent several years living in Skidmore, interviewing those who were there that day. By the time their second child was born, McElroy found another girlfriend, Sally, who was only thirteen, while Ken was around twenty-seven. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21971/ken-rex-mcelroy. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. The death of the 47-year-old McElroy, who was known as a thief with a violent temper, drew attention for its resemblance to Wild West, vigilante- style justice. Try again later. Verify and try again. When you didnt know where he was, you didnt dare take the chance of not being on your guard.. A polite person would say that Ken Rex came from humble beginnings, but politeness doesnt fit in a story about Ken Rex McElroy or the Town of Skidmore, so we will forego any. He would follow the bus route that took Trena to school in his pickup truck. McElroy started his pickup and the sound of shots pierced the silence. Trena had to be hospitalized because of her injuries. Please enter your email and password to sign in. But even more frustrating was the ineptitude of law enforcement in their handling of the monster that terrorized them day in and day out. McElroy was spinning so hard out of control, I have no doubt he would have tried to kill my dad again, given the chance. The incident received world wide press coverage, was the subject of a tv movie and a book. Who Killed Ken Rex McElroy: Town Keeps Its Secret For 38 Years The county prosecutor, David Baird, said there was not much more he could do. When he found where Trena was staying he began relying on his old tactics of intimidation. They sacrificed one for the betterment of hundreds. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Copyright 2017 Wagner & Lynch | He waved the gun around inside the tavern, proclaiming that he was going to finish off Bo Bowenkamp. 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. His foot fell to the accelerator when he was shot, causing the engine to run at full bore. 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. He specialized in stealing cattle and anything else he could get his hands on. Although Ken Rex was married to his second wife Alice, he could not help but notice the pretty girl with long blonde locks. 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. They knew this because they had all either witnessed or been the victim of a similar intentional violent act, and it was always at the hands of Ken Rex McElroy. McElroy got in his truck and drove away, leaving the farmer to whatever fate. The sheriff said, If you have to shoot him, let us know and well come get him before he starts stinking, Monte said. Someone warned her, Youre about to meet Ken Rex McElroy, Monte said. Ken Rexs cruelty was well known because he was so brazen about showing it. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. 31 Mar. We didnt have sufficient evidence to go to trial.. The townsfolk were infuriated. She went right back to the McElroy farmhouse with her son. Try again later. As well as the piece on McElroys son. He intimidated people by driving by at night and firing a shotgun blast, putting a rattlesnake in their mailbox, etc. No one called for an ambulance. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. By this point in his life Ken Rex had become a master of escaping punishment. You can always change this later in your Account settings. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Debbie was born in the Skidmore area and attended school there. The citizens of Skidmore Missouri apparently protecting the person or persons firing the shots. Need help writing a will or setting up a trust? Verify and try again. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Debbie McElroy (224629012)? MacLean told Inside Edition: Whatever had been done might not be morally right, but he needed killing. Ken McElroy was a middle-aged married man with out of control sideburns and a burly physique. The metallic smell of his own blood consumed the cab of the pickup truck. When the matter finally came to trial two coon hunters testified that Ken Rex was with them that day far away in another part of the county getting their limit. I have another story to tell: my drinks with one of McElroys sons, who had been adopted and didnt realize who his father was until he was grown and had graduated from college. There is a problem with your email/password. Just a single name can cause a physical reaction when uttered out loud in a room filled with those in the know. 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. She died in 2012. He told them he was coming to pick up his son, and if anyone tried to stop him, he would kill them. 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. Trena was admitted into foster care with her son. He liked young underage girls starting around twelve to fourteen. (D & G stood for Del and Greg Clement. ''There were a couple of bangs,'' said Mr. Hartman, whose office is near the tavern, ''and at first I thought it was firecrackers. 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? Yet in a conspiracy of silence that has spanned the past 38 years, the townsfolk have held the secret close. When Henry responded that he didnt even have a car like that, Ken Rex told him that he was a Lyin S.O.B. and pulled the trigger. McElroy yelled to Henry when he got to the window. Few residents seem to care. One account even said that McElroy rode into town on a horse and was shot and killed, Baird, the former prosecutor, said. Year should not be greater than current year. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. They felt a sense of safety in numbers. The doctor who treated her was appalled and called child services. Debbie Ann McElroy (source: Inside Edition). Mr. McElroy was hit in the head and neck. Around forty of them stood outside, while another twenty crowded into the small tavern. A trucker had warned that I had better not write about Clement at all anymore, and another had said my facts were wrongthat Del was a wonderful human beingand that I should in fact just forget about the whole thing, since everyone else had. It was a misunderstanding, but one that made the Bowenkamps lives a living hell for months. Family members linked to this person will appear here. It was either going to be him, or somebody else., Investigators never got anyone to confess or give information about who had fired the lethal shot. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Learn more about merges. Murder is still murder. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters.
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