He neutralized an entire criminal justice system.. Eventually, after an altercation at a bar during which McElroy threatened him with a shotgun, Alices stepfather dropped the assault charges. They recounted his threats to kill anyone who tried to jail him. I was in town to spend time with the Goslee family, who had put me up and supported my research for many years, and had received considerable grief for doing it, and to attend a barbecue put on my Dave Dunbar in Lamoni, Iowa. He accused Romaine Henry of being a dirty S.O.B. and said that Henry had been at his place in a white Pontiac. McElroy, known as 'Kenrex' by his friends and his enemies, had an extensive arrest record. 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. However, the outcome of the conviction was a slap in the face for Bo and Lois Bowenkamp. The couple then moved to Colorado. For years residents had watched Mr. McElroy, 47 years old at his death, wiggle out of one legal problem after another. 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. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Hed leave, then hed come back, Monte said. It wasnt that he was necessarily slick of sly in any way, he was a brute. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. For the first time in his life, McElroy was actually convicted of a crime. Skidmore is down from 450 (when I was there) to 325. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the strangest instances investigators ever saw. 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. 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. 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. The McElroys never had any money. 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. Ken Rex took, and the only thing he ever gave was fear. Year. Why are you doing this? 1955 or 56: Ken and Oleta McElroy move back to Missouri after Ken's accident in Colorado. Add to your scrapbook. Try again later. Mr. McElroy was hit in the head and neck. GREAT NEWS! . WebJune 16th, 1934: Ken Rex McElroy is born to Mabel and Tony McElroy, the thirteenth out of fourteen children. , Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Try again. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. He had many affairs over the course of his marriage to both Alice and his first wife Sharon. Around forty of them stood outside, while another twenty crowded into the small tavern. Trena moved away from Skidmore, remarried and had more children. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 1. Im having trouble downloading the pictures, but should have them up soon. McElroy four years earlier had pumped a couple of rounds of buckshot into the stomach of local farmer Romaine Henry as he tried to run the blackguard off his land. You know what he was like. The trucks windows were shattered; at least one of the bullets hit McElroy in the back of the head. Its not even past. Nowhere is that more true than the small community of Skidmore, where the past is the terror and murder of a terror-stoking outlaw 30 years ago. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Was justice served? Who Killed Ken Rex McElroy: Town Keeps Its Secret For 38 Years How is this man not in jail? Monte said, repeating the question asked by many when he showed up in Skidmore the morning after his release. Resend Activation Email. She was preceded in death by her father. Faulkner wrote that The past is never dead. Need help writing a will or setting up a trust? To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. McElroy got in his truck and drove away, leaving the farmer to whatever fate. Former Nodaway County prosecutor David Baird, Its proceedings are secret, but in news interviews at the time, McElroys widow said she told a county grand jury who murdered her husband. Kenneth M. McElroy, 60, of Butler passed away Tuesday at Butler Memorial Hospital. Despite his conviction, he was still the arrogant goon he had always been. He dropped out of school before he reached high school, and by 13 was already a familiar character to the cops around Nodaway County. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. 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. Yet in a conspiracy of silence that has spanned the past 38 years, the townsfolk have held the secret close. 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. McElroy had been indicted a total of 21 times for crimes such as: child molestation, arson, cattle rustling, and stealing. Search above to list available cemeteries. 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. The fact that he was always armed and had no issue with pointing the barrel end of any firearm at a person didnt hurt either. 6. A lot of old timers complain that they dont know many of the other residents, a lot of whom work in surrounding communities. Before you tell yourself the case closed, no, this case Learn more about managing a memorial . Born June 2, 1948, in Louisville, Ky., he was the son of the late C.C. M Logitech Co., Ltd. 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 or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? 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. Several patrons witnessed McElroys display at the tavern and called the prosecutor, who revoked McElroys bail. U.S., Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection, 1847-Current, U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. After the photos. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. 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. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Family members linked to this person will appear here. But it was too late. In the end, fear is what killed him, Goslee said. Born in 1934 the fifteenth of sixteen children McElroy dropped out of school by the time he hit fifth grade and spent the next several decades terrorizing the town of Skidmore, Missouri. Verify and try again. A shotgun in his hands, Ken Rex turned toward the truck as it approached. He waved the gun around inside the tavern, proclaiming that he was going to finish off Bo Bowenkamp. Seventy-five or so people gathered at the Sam R. Albright American Legion Hall on July 10, 1981, to discuss what could be done. Some of these things are simply assumed to be factual, Baird said. He quit.. ''Everybody knows what the next guy is saying and doing,'' said one investigator. 24 Jan 1957. Unsurprisingly, Skidmore residents were upset by the police presence in town. . Try again later. Just a single name can cause a physical reaction when uttered out loud in a room filled with those in the know. 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. Ken Rex moved her out of her parents home and into his, which he still shared with his wife Alice. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Instead of leaving, McElroy turned around and shot Henry in the stomach with his shotgun. Davis Bill Everhart, mayor of the town of 440 people, says it could have been avoided had the courts cracked down on McElroy. Still, the panel didnt return an indictment, giving rise to conspiracy theories about a law enforcement coverup, also a theme in No One Saw a Thing.. On leaving school (and likely even before) McElroy began stealing items such as antiques, alcohol, grain and gasoline. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Ken Rex McElroy was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in St Joseph, Missouri. A hearing was scheduled, in which the witnesses would testify that they had seen McElroy in the bar in possession of a loaded weapon. There was a problem getting your location. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Thanks for your help! You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. A deer slug in one chamber tore through Bowenkamps neck, coming within 3 inches of his head. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Behind those eyes laid the cold, calm embrace of violence and death that wrote his biography. 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. They slept in shifts, with some friend or family member keeping an eye on the street. 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. I was in and around Skidmore for three days and two nights, and encountered no trouble. He would also follow them home, sit outside in his truck and stare at them with his dark, sinister gaze for hours on end. cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. What happened in Skidmore that day wasnt much different than the completely predictable result from shaking a carbonated beverage until the top finally blows. One assumption Skidmore hasnt been able to shed is that McElroys killing was an act of vigilante justice. The Bowenkamps, who were in their early seventies at the time, tried their best to carry on with life as normal. This browser does not support getting your location. Henry survived, and unlike the majority of McElroys other victims, actually went on to testify in court against him. 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. 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. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Ken McElroy (21971)? Scan this QR code to download the app now. This is the story of a man that terrorized an entire community. Evelyn lived cross the street, and he made sure she could see them. Failed to delete flower. However, he had gotten away with all of them. The McElroys eventually left the store, but when Bowenkamp closed up that night, he was outside, waiting. Despite the facts, the residents of Skidmore, MO, weren't so eager to talk (Editors Note: Patch Deputy National Editor Beth Dalbey grew up on a farm about 10 miles from Skidmore, Missouri.). How to Use This Collection. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. A federal grand jury was convened. McElroy was arrested and charged with arson, assault, and statutory rape. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Ken McElroy was a middle-aged married man with out of control sideburns and a burly physique. So is Stratton. 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. After McElroy fired a gun outside her house, Evelyn Sumy appealed to Dave Dunbar, the town marshal. They sacrificed one for the betterment of hundreds. McElroy moved Sally onto the family farm with Sharon and their two children. Thank you very much for the update on your recent trip. She was born July 5, 1965 in Skidmore, Mo. Learn more about merges. Skidmore looks different. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. We have set your language to When he got off on a trial, it grew even bigger. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. McElroy was arrested on assault charges, but Alices stepfather would need to testify. The media descended on Skidmore after the killing, an event that continues to define the people of the small town to the world at times with wildly exaggerated versions of what happened. No one called an ambulance. Oops, we were unable to send the email. This was a punch in the gut to everybody in Skidmore. Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 July 10, 1981) was an American criminal and convicted attempted murderer who resided in Skidmore, Missouri, United States. ; Julie Tia of Jensen Beach, Fla. and Tonia Goben of Springfield; five brothers, Jerome McElroy of Seattle, Wash.; Juarez McElroy and Ken McElory, both of Springfield; Reno McElroy of Pittsburg, Pa. and Derome McCloud of Lebanon, and a number of nieces and nephews.All arrangements for Debbie Ann McElroy will be private under the care and direction of Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Lebanon. Ernst Bo Bowenkamp (source: morbidology.com). 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. 31 Mar. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. What gave rise to that theory is that they were in the Legion hall for a meeting, then went down to the D&G [when they heard McElroy was in town]. His lawyer managed to delay the process for so long, however, that Trena, who was still a child and very nave, got bored of foster care and ran away. 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. 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'. Just a single name can cause a physical reaction when uttered out loud in a room filled with those in the know. He got divorced and his drinking finally killed him. A lot of old timers complain that they dont know many of the other residents, a lot of whom work in surrounding communities. just happened . 2. Richard Stratton reflects on capturing notorious thug Ken Rex McElroy, 13 Things About Ken McElroy's Shooting You Need To Know Before Watching 'No One Saw A Thing', To the Killer of Her Least Favorite Son, Skidmore, Mo. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. You can always change this later in your Account settings. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. She took her complaint to at-the-time Nodaway County Sheriff Roger Cronk. Many speculate that McElroy also threatened the jury. Few residents seem to care. However, most of his sexual affairs werent with women, but rather underage girls, with whom he collectively had at least ten children.
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