The case inspired a book, In Broad Daylight by Harry McLean, and a 1991 TV movie of the same name starring Brian Dennehy. McElroy's appeal hearing was again delayed. Harry MacLean, author of "In Broad Daylight". They could finally sleep peacefully at night, especially Bo and Lois Bowenkamp and their children. As many as 60 Skidmore residents attended, including the mayor and the sheriff. Ken McElroy was born in 1934, one of 16 children, author Harry MacLean explains in his book In Broad Daylight, an account of the case. The witnesses all claimed they had seen nothing. Before you tell yourself the case closed, no, this case still remains unsolved. In court, Bowenkamp testified about how McElroy confronted him in the loading dock of the grocery while he was cutting up boxes and shot him in the neck. But unless a very credible witness came forward, its not likely to happen., The Burger Chef Cold Case: Four Murders Still Unsolved Over 40 Years Later. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. Farmers carried them to kill varmints, or for hunting displaying them in plain sight in rear window gun racks. That became the pattern. It's hard to believe that this small town was once a bustlingcommunity. Charismatic, with jet-black hair and piercing eyes, McElroy could sweet-talk his way around women and had been married three times by his early 40s. Its been over 30 years. They could have pushed and dug, pushed and dug and gotten nothing., We were so bitter and so angry at the law letting us down that it came to somebody taking matters in their own hands, she said. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. McCloud attempted to escape to her parents' house, but McElroy allegedly responded by burning down Trena's parents' home and shooting their dog. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Dec. 15, 2010. But in a dramatic act of solidarity with the gunman, every witness, save the dead mans wife, denied seeing who had pulled the trigger. Once, he even got out and fired a shotgun up in the pine tree by their house. Its never going to happen.. The town got away with murder, Mr. McFadin said. You dont have a town full of people who were hiding a guilty conscience, he said. "[13], McElroy was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Joseph, Missouri. He didnt have a bank account, didnt have a Social Security number, he didnt read. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 - July 10, 1981) was an American criminal and convicted attempted murderer who resided in Skidmore, Missouri, United States. According to reports, some 50 people were outside the tavern when the shooting started. The law had plenty of chances, plenty of times to lock him up., Added Monte: Justice failed everybody. Bully's murder remains a secret in Missouri town for 40 years - FOX 2 In what could only be described as vigilante justice, they conspired to kill Ken McElroy. Just to be aware, he explained. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. There just wouldnt have been a story.. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. Absolutely not, he said. In 1981, vigilantes in Skidmore, Mo., took justice into their own hands and killed town bully Ken Rex McElroy but no one was charged with the crime. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 July 10, 1981) was an American criminal and convicted attempted murderer who resided in Skidmore, Missouri, United States. 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. July 10th, 1981: The Townspeople gather in the Legion to discuss what should be done about Ken McElroy. McElroy was furious when he learned of the incident. He made no deathbed confession, but someone wrote in a memorial tribute that he . Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? 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. 'Below the Fold' movie based on Skidmore, Missouri released - WDAF-TV The trial collapsed yet all accounts are sceptical that the witnesses were telling the . in the A&E App.]. Local authorities, including a coroners jury and a local grand jury, and even the FBI, investigated the killing but to no avail. She died in 2012. 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. It was a commemoration of sorts: thirty years ago to the day after Ken Rex McElroy had been shot to death as he sat in his truck on the main street of . Some people have attributed his strange behavior with this event. So what was left?. It cruised up the street, came back and just sat there for 20 seconds, says Boyer, adding he couldnt prove it was McElroy but waited behind a tree with his shotgun just in case. McElroy was in town and behaving belligerently. We stood up and did the right thing. Trena McCloud's Civil Suit Against Skidmore, Missouri Revealed - Bustle Born in 1934, Ken Rex McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. 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 delivered messages in code. [2], In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. The Town That Got Away With Murder - Ken Rex McElroy - Morbidology 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. When the shooting ended, McElroy was slumped over the steering wheel. I heard shooting and got down. He appeared in a local bar, the D&G Tavern, armed with an M1 Garand rifle and bayonet, and later threatened to kill Bowenkamp. One night after he pulled a speeding pickup truck over, Boyer came face to face with McElroy. A federal grand jury was convened. In Broad Daylight: A Murder in Skidmore, Missouri. However, an incident would occur in 1980 that changed everything. Things reached a boiling point in 1980 when Ken McElroy got into a confrontation with the towns elderly grocer, Ernest Bo Bowenkamp. Henry survived and McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill. The town has seen more than its share of tragedy. In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. If they thought it was getting too out of hand, they would send one of us up and down the aisle. In the summer of 1981, a jury handed McElroy his first-ever felony conviction for the lesser charge of second-degree assault. Many buildings are closed and falling apart. How to get started raising backyard, Missouri killer: DNA evidence helps solve 1956 cold-case, McElroy terrorized the denizens of Skidmore, Pam Hupp charged with murder of Betsy Faria; prosecutor seeking death penalty, the group walked from the hall and went down the street to the tavern, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, Great weekend weather, just watch rising river levels, The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is in St. Charles this, Rally to support Kim Gardner in St. Louis today, STL Co. stakeholders look for juvenile crime solutions, STL County school district still recovering from, Block party kicks off history making weekend for, Woman shot in St. Peters Schnucks parking lot, Mo lawmakers back ban on Chinese ownership of land, Lawsuit: Muslims praying at Missouri prison pepper-sprayed, Local organization hosts fundraiser for Janae Edmondson, Heavy rain, wind slam St. Louis region on Friday, Man shot and killed on his front porch in Illinois, TSA at Lambert warns travelers about flights ahead, Check out these new must-see Missouri attractions. McElroy was never a popular man. 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. It's said the county's law enforcement officials were afraid of encountering McElroy, who was known to be heavily armed. In fact, anywhere between thirty and ninety people witnessed the . Ken Rex McElroy Jr. - Biography - IMDb Buzzfeeds Unsolved Network produced a 24-minute true crime documentary on the shooting. 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. Despite being shot in broad daylight in front of various witnesses, the . Then, on the night of July 8, 1980, McElroy shot 70-year-old Skidmore grocer Ernst Bo Bowenkamp, unwittingly setting up his own murder a year later. During the meeting, McElroy arrived at the D&G Tavern with Trena. No one was surprised. 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. Get out of town, they said. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Reached by phone, Mr. McElroys wife, who has since remarried and left the state, said she was not interested in talking about the case. You know how he oppressed and threatened us. Dunbar talked to him, and [McElroy] pulled a gun on him, Monte said. Were the citizens justified in taking matters into their own hands? His eyes just really put you in defense modehe really looked like a mean person.. The townspeople organized a caravan to escort the witnesses to the hearing both to protect them and to show solidarity. Best client I ever had, McFadin said in an interview. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The courts would not help us or Skidmore. And Mr. Baird, all these years later, is still unwilling to give his own view on whether justice was served even though or because the killer was never tried. Like so many other small towns, Skidmore has shrunk inside itself, watching businesses close and residents depart. A&E, Rolling Stone, Playboy, 60 Minutes, and other media outlets covered the story in print or television. In the end, fear is what killed him, Goslee said. He showed back up in front of their house that night, and he and Trena sat there and watched them, Monte said. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. 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. Everyone was so uncomfortable and scared.. The man asked, what are you doing here? Boyer remembers. 1, it is murder. He dropped out of school at age 15 in the eighth grade and quickly established a local reputation as a cattle rustler, small-time thief, and womanizer. McElroy was a big man with cold eyes who always carried a gun. He said he was not at all disappointed to leave office with the case still unsolved. The guns were never recovered. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. There were plenty of eyewitnesses, as well as the attack happened in broad. You just didnt do that.. He was a goodhearted person. McElroy was known to have stolen grain, alcohol, gasoline, antiques, and even livestock. The sheriff said, If you have to shoot him, let us know and well come get him before he starts stinking, Monte said. Shortly after being released, McElroy was at D&G Tavern making threats about murdering Bowenkamp. He was known as "the town bully",[1] and his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. His father was a tenant farmer, his mother a housewife swamped with feeding and caring for the sprawling family. McElroy sat outside the foster home for hours at a time staring at it. This six-episode true-crime docuseries comes from Sundance TV and premiered last August. Mr. McElroy was quickly rearrested after he appeared in town with a rifle, but he was again released. But the silence of the townspeople held. As he sat drinking at the bar, word got back to the men at the Legion Hall that he was in town. Full Worm Moon: Will Conditions Favor A Moonbow? Estes, the sheriff some tried to implicate in a conspiracy, is dead. If you liked reading this story on Ken McElroy, the bully who was killed by his town, check out the story of Budford Pussers cold-blooded revenge. When a court hearing was postponed, there was a meeting in town, with the mayor and the sheriff attending, to discuss Mr. McElroy. Town Mute for 30 Years About a Bully's Killing - The New York Times It was a matter of self-preservation. [10] No one called for an ambulance. Part of his teeth were lying on the dashboard, Boyer recalls. Vigilante justice is certainly a slippery slope, but after years of dealing with Ken McElroy, the people of Skidmore reached their boiling point. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.