Verify and try again. Skidmore is a town of 440 people, 80 miles northwest of Kansas City. Ken McElroy in U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Ken Rex McElroy in FamilySearch Family Tree. She was taken to a foster home in Maryville with the couples baby. Known as "the town bully", his unsolved killing became the focus of Oops, we were unable to send the email. Del Clement, the man Trena named as McElroys killer, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. We went everywhere we could, but justice would stay delicately out the way, she said. There was a problem getting your location. 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. Harry MacLean, author of "In Broad Daylight". 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. The children had little parental supervision, and for the most part ran free around town. Please reset your password. 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. With the charges still looming over him, Ken Rex acted fast. 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. Joyce Monte, daughter of injured grocer. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. The FBI entered the case stiff-arming and threatening people, is how Monte, the Bowenkamps daughter, relates it. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Debbie Ann McElroy I found on Findagrave.com. You feel it when you drive into town. 6. By this point in his life Ken Rex had become a master of escaping punishment. Women had a harder time with it than the men. Eventually, Trena grew tired of the foster house and the rules she was expected to mind under, after all she was still a young girl, and she ran away. That became the pattern. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. 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. He had many affairs over the course of his marriage to both Alice and his first wife Sharon. He went to Trenas parents home, where he viciously beat Trena and Alice, then burned the McCloud house to the ground. Life revolves around work, but that is a value that townspeople say Mr. McElroy discarded early in life. 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. And not too long ago, Sumys, a gas station and coffee shop since 1943, closed. Ernst Bo Bowenkamp (source: morbidology.com). Resend Activation Email. Someone warned her, Youre about to meet Ken Rex McElroy, Monte said. 24 Jan 2012 (aged 55) Conway, Laclede County, Missouri, USA. Despite his conviction, he was still the arrogant goon he had always been. 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. Failed to delete memorial. This account has been disabled. Please try again later. He left town just as Ken and Trena McElroy were driving in, likely passing McElroys Chevrolet Silverado pickup in his cruiser on the road. It went beyond just hammering people and being mean-spirited. From talking to witnesses, he concluded that the killing of McElroy was not planned. This is when the rage amongst locals reached boiling point. Had I sought out the Clements and their crowd, I would have gone to the Elks Club in Maryville on Saturday night, the scene of my almost-violent encounter with Del and his friends years ago. The metallic smell of his own blood consumed the cab of the pickup truck. On July 10, 1981, the justice system let the people of Skidmore down, and when it did, they did something that changed their own lives and the town forever. Search above to list available cemeteries. They could finally sleep peacefully at night, especially Bo and Lois Bowenkamp and their children. McElroy for years had terrorized the small town of Skidmore Missouri, and was considered the town bully. 31 Mar. 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. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Just a single name can cause a physical reaction when uttered out loud in a room filled with those in the know. When you didnt know where he was, you didnt dare take the chance of not being on your guard.. M Logitech Co., Ltd. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Trena was the only person to come forward to investigators about who she believed had killer her husband. Nobody tried to hang them for finding a way to kill a germ. 1. Murder is still murder. 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. Please enter your email and password to sign in. McElroy was arrested on assault charges, but Alices stepfather would need to testify. He forced the two women and the children into his truck and drove them back to the farmhouse. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. 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. Undaunted, Mr. McElroy hoisted himself into the truck and pulled out a cigarette. Longstanding Grudges. On of his hands came to him one afternoon and reported that someone was on the property shooting a firearm. Try again later. One man said to an officer examining the scene: What are you doing here? Lois soon became fed up and told the McElroys to leave the store and never come back. Family members linked to this person will appear here. 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. I dont believe youre coming nowafter we needed your help all this time.. A lot of old timers complain that they dont know many of the other residents, a lot of whom work in surrounding communities. The mainstreet is eerily quiet in mid-morning. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. ; six sisters, Tina Chapman of Savannah, Mo. Nearly 30 years of On leaving school (and likely even before) McElroy began stealing items such as antiques, alcohol, grain and gasoline. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. They worked as sharecroppers and moved often before settling in Skidmore. There is no denying that McElroy was a skilled criminal; his long career of breaking the law resulted in pockets permanently stuffed with $100 bills. Ken Rexs cruelty was well known because he was so brazen about showing it. . This is the story of a bully, and to the town of Skidmore Missouri he was the meanest, nastiest, bully that has ever lived. Behind those eyes laid the cold, calm embrace of violence and death that wrote his biography. For the first time in his life, McElroy was actually convicted of a crime. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/224629012/debbie-ann-mcelroy. No. McElroy was arrested and charged with arson, assault, and statutory rape. A lot of them didnt even tell their wives and children. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. The more McElroy got away with, the more it seemed as though he was exempt from the law. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 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. Seventy-five or so people gathered at the Sam R. Albright American Legion Hall on July 10, 1981, to discuss what could be done. 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 The 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. It really is that it was never spoken of they had an instinctive reaction to close up. Both were fuming over the seemingly insignificant incident. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Henry stopped the truck and Ken Rex approached the passenger side, the window rolled down, the barrel of the 12-gauge trained on Henry. 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. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. The D & G Tavern, most recently the Skidmore Tavern, in front of which Ken was sitting in his Silverado when the bullets tore through the window glass and shattered his skull, was also closed. Just the name Ken Rex McElroy feels bigger than it appears on paper. It wasnt that he was necessarily slick of sly in any way, he was a brute. It failed McElroy, too, because it failed to protect him from himself. (SECOM) , 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. How could it? But of course, McElroy filed an appeal of his conviction, and was let out on $40,000 bond while his appeal was pending. based on information from your browser. 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. 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. No one bothered to turn it off. POPULATION: ONE BAD MAN PART I. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Not long after moving into McElroys farmhouse, both Trena and Alice (Ken Rex and Alice remained together despite him moving Trena in) fled to Trenas parents home. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Birth. From 12 to 60 people, by varying estimates, marched down the street. Residents seem more resentful, less willing to talk. 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. And thats exactly what they did. He relied on witness intimidation to prove his innocence, and he was a master at it. You dont take cases to trial to see what might happen, the former prosecutor said. 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. No one called for an ambulance. The story of Ken Rex McElroy began on June 1, 1934. 20 You know what he was like. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. McElroy got in his truck and drove away, leaving the farmer to whatever fate. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Trena McCloud's Civil Suit Against Skidmore, Missouri Revealed Many wondered: Why didnt Baird press charges against the man Trena McElroy fingered as her husbands killer? United States Attorney Robert Ulrich declared that the Government was still working on its case despite the failure of the two grand juries to find witnesses who would talk. Not long after leaving school, McElroy sustained a head injury when he fell from a hay wagon. More Options. 20, , 40 , It was so out of the blue, almost to the point of being surreal, said Monte, who occasionally worked in her parents store. This browser does not support getting your location. Need help writing a will or setting up a trust? 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. They had to look out for themselves. to Kenneth and Sharon Fossinger McElroy.She was preceded in death by her father.Debbie was born in the Skidmore area and attended school there. Ken Rex McElroy was not a nice man. Unsurprisingly, Skidmore residents were upset by the police presence in town. The truck engine burned up in the half-hour he was left slumped in the cab, his foot lodged on the accelerator. cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He was very cunning, MacLean told Patch. The murder of Ken Rex McElroy took place in plain view of dozens of residents in Skidmore, Mo., and will most likely never be solved. Search above to list available cemeteries. I have a feeling his neighbors would have described him somewhat differently. Try again later. Mr. McElroy was hit in the head and neck. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. The bank is closed; Moms cafe is closed; the grocery store where McElroy shot Bo over one of his kids swiping some candy is closed. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Failed to report flower. ''That was a really nice truck.''. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Everyone in town seemed to know McElroy had done it, yet he spent only a single night in jail for nearly killing the man. Year should not be greater than current year. McElroy moved Sally onto the family farm with Sharon and their two children. Born in Overland Park, Kansas, on June 1, 1934, McElroy was the fifteenth of Tony and Mabel McElroys sixteen children. They are our real life bogey men, and the fear that they give us also leaves us fascinated. The truth is that the people of Skidmore, Missouri, were sick and tired of living their lives in fear under tyrannical reign of Ken McElroy, which by then had stretched over two decades. They felt a sense of safety in numbers. She took her complaint to at-the-time Nodaway County Sheriff Roger Cronk. , 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. 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. Mr. Dunbar was asked if he knew who did it. Few were criticized as mightily as Baird over the lack of prosecution in McElroys murder. Browse All 237,537 Images. There was an error deleting this problem. Faces turn away at a strangers approach. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Itll be a day or two. Why were they diligently carrying out this investigation into the killing of the man who had made their lives miserable for so long? There may never be an answer to the question of who killed Ken Rex McElroy. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Police said he had previously been charged with chicken theft, attempted This was a punch in the gut to everybody in Skidmore. After McElroy fired a gun outside her house, Evelyn Sumy appealed to Dave Dunbar, the town marshal. 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. This is the story of a man that terrorized an entire community. ''It doesn't make for a real talkative environment. She went right back to the McElroy farmhouse with her son. Close to fifty of them had come together and made a plan to protect the witnesses who were going to testify against McElroy. Try again later. They talked about the bail bond that allowed Mr. McElroy to circulate freely after an assault conviction for shooting an elderly grocer, Ernest Bowenkamp. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. '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. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. McElroy pretty much got whatever he wanted, and women were no exception. She was preceded in death by her father. Skidmore residents were pleased that (some) justice was finally being served. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. It should have been open and shut - there were dozens of witnesses, and the shooting occurred in broad daylight - but it wound up being anything but. The two came out from the back of the store, also becoming subject to the couples ranting. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. As a result, he was no stranger to the Nodaway County Sheriffs Dept. A federal grand jury was convened. When he got off on a trial, it grew even bigger. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. '', People are friendly and smiling on first acquaintance but quickly withdraw or become guarded when the McElroy case is brought up. If they thought it was getting too out of hand, they would send one of us up and down the aisle. 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. System McElroy was hardly a loving husband and regularly beat Sharon. 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. Verify and try again. He quickly divorced Alice, then drove Trena to Kansas and married her to avoid conviction of statutory rape. just happened . The McElroys eventually left the store, but when Bowenkamp closed up that night, he was outside, waiting. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the strangest instances investigators ever saw. MacLean doesnt believe the men gathered at the Legion hall that morning ever made a group decision to kill McElroy. Again, there were no indictments, and the McElroy murder case was tossed back to Baird. Though arrest and criminal charges were a common part of his life, conviction or punishment was foreign to Ken Rex. McElroy moved out of his family home to be with Alice, but this relationship was no different from his previous ones. There is a problem with your email/password. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Skidmore looks different. Sally had three children with McElroy and Sharon had another two. She then worked in the customer service department at Walmart and Target for several years. 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. On July 10th, 1981 Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in the street in broad daylight infront of 60 witnesses. It sounded like the Wild West out there.''. By the time their second child was born, McElroy found another girlfriend, Sally, who was only thirteen, while Ken was around twenty-seven. This went on for months, thanks to his trial being subject to constant delays. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. 0 cemeteries found in Saint Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri, USA. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. . SLAIN BULLY'S TOWN LOOKS BACK WITHOUT PITY, https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/11/us/slain-bully-s-town-looks-back-without-pity.html. He was the 15th child of 16 born to Tony and Mabel McElroy. Secretly, Skidmore was extremely thankful to him. McElroy yelled to Henry when he got to the window. One time, a farmer named Romaine Henry caught McElroy trespassing on his property and attempted to chase him off. We went to the police. One assumption Skidmore hasnt been able to shed is that McElroys killing was an act of vigilante justice. With the businesses gone, the Punkin Festival defunct, it has little vibrancy. Sorry! However, the outcome of the conviction was a slap in the face for Bo and Lois Bowenkamp. 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. The law had plenty of chances, plenty of times to lock him up., Added Monte: Justice failed everybody. But even more frustrating was the ineptitude of law enforcement in their handling of the monster that terrorized them day in and day out. 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. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. You just didnt do that.. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. His foot fell to the accelerator when he was shot, causing the engine to run at full bore. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. He had a legendary status, and it all got to be bigger than he was. How to Use This Collection. Anyone heard any new info from people who were there? Failed to delete memorial. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. He neutralized an entire criminal justice system.. 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. I think its admirable that you have not forgotten the good people who helped you. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Copyright 2017 Wagner & Lynch | Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 July 10, 1981) was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. Despite two grand jury investigations, no one has been charged in the killing. 24 Jan 1957. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? However, there was more to Ken Rex than his size. System , , . Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Ken was eventually convicted for shooting a local general store owner for accusing his daughters of shoplifting. Failed to delete flower. When she was fourteen, Trena got pregnant. He didnt just like being with many women, he did have a type, young girls. Horton, Brown County, Kansas, USA. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Fidelity wasnt a strong suit of Ken Rex, or of any interest to him at all for that matter. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. 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. 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. Thanks for your help! McFadin, McElroys lawyer, got the hearing postponed. 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. Who Killed Ken Rex McElroy: Town Keeps Its Secret For 38 Years July 10, 1981, his reign of terror came to an end. 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. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? ''Sure, I want this thing solved. It wasnt the kind of murder which goes unsolved for decades and eventually someone comes forward with the tip that breaks the case open. There were plenty of eyewitnesses, as well as the Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Why are you doing this? Cite This Collection "British Newspaper Archives, Obituaries." Make sure that the file is a photo. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. This browser does not support getting your location. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. McWilliams Media Tulsa, OK Website Design. The mere mention of his surname was enough to cause anxiety, if not full terror. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Sorry! Being shot in the stomach wasnt enough though. When he found where Trena was staying he began relying on his old tactics of intimidation. By 14 years old Trena was pregnant with their first child. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Refusing to argue, he and Lois went home. For years residents had watched Mr. McElroy, 47 years old at his death, wiggle out of one legal problem after another. ). Three grand jury investigations and an FBI probe resulted in no indictments and no trial. Ken Rex made bail and was out within a day or so, and went looking for Trena. Ken Rex McElroy was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in St Joseph, Missouri. Born in 1934 the fifteenth of sixteen children McElroy dropped out of school by the time he hit fifth grade and spent the
Usa Volleyball High Performance Roster, Van Window Fitting Service Near Me, Who Is The Highest Paid College Soccer Coach, Can You Take Buscopan And Simethicone Together, Articles K
Usa Volleyball High Performance Roster, Van Window Fitting Service Near Me, Who Is The Highest Paid College Soccer Coach, Can You Take Buscopan And Simethicone Together, Articles K