Title Directed by Original air date U.S. viewers (millions) 1 "The Killing of Ken Rex McElroy" Avi Belkin: August 1, 2019 (): N/A: Known as the town bully, Ken Rex McElroy terrorized tiny Skidmore, Missouri, for decades.On July 10, 1981, the town had had enough and 60 people surrounded his pick-up truck and shot him dead on Main Street--but no one claimed to have seen a thing. June 12th, 1973: After continuing his involvement with Trena McCloud, Ken McElroy burns down Trena's parents' house. It's worth noting that the abused defending their abuser often occurs in domestic violence cases. When you didnt know where he was, you didnt dare take the chance of not being on your guard.. On July 8, 1980, McElroy drove to the alley behind the Bowenkamp general store. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. Sheriff Estes instructed the assembled group not to get into a direct confrontation with McElroy, but instead seriously consider forming a neighborhood watch program. One account even said that McElroy rode into town on a horse and was shot and killed, Baird, the former prosecutor, said. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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? Evelyn lived cross the street, and he made sure she could see them. When the news that Ken and Trena went to the local bar that evening, everyone got up and made their way over. In Broad Daylight by Harry N. MacLean / Via. [6], Based on Trena's story, McElroy was indicted in June 1973 for arson, assault, and statutory rape. There is pretty much nothing in existence that was not stolen by McElroy during his 47 years. She gathered her strength and put the car in reverse. Refusing to argue, he and Lois went home. McElroy was spinning so hard out of control, I have no doubt he would have tried to kill my dad again, given the chance. Despite the efforts of police, prosecutors and McElroys family, no one has been charged in the murder. Hed leave, then hed come back, Monte said. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8iUdp33PqTsix2sGblEQZ8m5FQycC5D Vigilante justice, or cold-blooded murder?MERCH: We've got it! She died of cancer on Jan. 24, 2012; it was her 55th birthday. Once freed, McElroy didnt just quietly celebrate his victory. Once there, he threatened Bo, and shot him in the neck at close range with a shotgun. Things reached a boiling point in 1980 when Ken McElroy got into a confrontation with the towns elderly grocer, Ernest Bo Bowenkamp. It's hard to believe that this small town was once a bustlingcommunity. MacLean doesnt believe the men gathered at the Legion hall that morning ever made a group decision to kill McElroy. When the shooting ended, McElroy was slumped over the steering wheel. Estes, the sheriff some tried to implicate in a conspiracy, is dead. Somebody would hear his name, and the legend grew bigger. I dont know what happened,' Boyer recalls witnesses saying. [9] McElroy was convicted at trial of assault, but freed on bail pending his appeal. However, an incident would occur in 1980 that changed everything. Of the most serious, McElroy was accused of child molestation and statutory rape. Ken McElroy issues threats against the Bowenkamp family. BuzzFeed McElroy allegedly stole livestock, grain, gasoline,. McElroy was eventually convicted, but the charge was lessened from "attempt to kill" to "knowingly caused serious physical injury" to ensure a conviction. Didnt see a thing. Thats the response investigators repeatedly received when they questioned people over the death of Ken McElroy. His unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. 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. Calling the sheriff about his threats was risk few were willing to take not that it would have done much good, Goslee said. The morning of July 10, 1981, a group of frustrated and angry men gathered at the Legion Hall in Skidmore, MacLean writes. He was very cunning, MacLean told Patch. Absolutely not, he said. This is far from what happened in the case of McElroy. Was justice served? Anthony was born on August 27 1890, in Shelton, Knox County, MO, USA. He torched the home and shot the dogagainafter the girl went into hiding with her and McElroys baby. But justice is a loaded term in a case that challenges the usual assumptions of victim and perpetrator. Looking back, the justice system had as much to do with killing Ken McElroy as anyone in Skidmore did.. It was so out of the blue, almost to the point of being surreal, said Monte, who occasionally worked in her parents store. The mere mention of his surname was enough to cause anxiety, if not full terror. 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. SKIDMORE, Mo. No. McElroy eventually left the tavern and got into his pickup truck with his wife, but the mob of people followed the pair outside. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! SKIDMORE, Mo. Posted on July 14, 2011 by Harry. Both Sally and Sharon begin having Ken's children. You know what he was like. Over the next two years, three grand juries were empaneled and testimony taken. I got in the car and was shaking so bad.. On April 25, 1980 at Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp's general store, a clerk asked McElroy's 8-year-old daughter to return a piece of candy she had not paid for. Ken Rex McElroy 1934-1981. But even after a federal prosecutor forwarded to Mr. Baird what he called substantial new evidence, no one was indicted. In the end, fear is what killed him, Goslee said. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Richard Stratton was ready. One assumption Skidmore hasnt been able to shed is that McElroys killing was an act of vigilante justice. McElroy would just sit and glower at you just stare at you and youd never know what he was thinking.. 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. Just months after Mr. Baird became county prosecutor a post he was encouraged to take because nothing exciting ever happens in Nodaway County he found himself in a courtroom for the first time with Mr. McElroy, who had shot an elderly Skidmore grocer in the neck with a shotgun. But in a dramatic act of . He was arrested, booked, arraigned, and released on $2,500 bail. He was punctual, always said he didnt do it, paid in cash and kept coming back.. He showed back up in front of their house that night, and he and Trena sat there and watched them, Monte said. 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. Anyone can read what you share. Just to be aware, he explained. What happened in Skidmore that day wasnt much different than the completely predictable result from shaking a carbonated beverage until the top finally blows. McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. Trena claimed to have seen someone pull a rifle from the back of the truck, take aim at McElroy, and fire shots that shattered the truck's windows. Everyone just went home. Meanwhile, McElroy and his wife arrived at the D&G Tavern for a morning drink. As a result, he was arrested, but quickly released. One of these women was 24-year-old Trena McCloud, who was McElroy's partner. I think its something thats going to define this town forever.. April 25th, 1980: A few of Ken's children go to the local grocery store and is accused of stealing by Mrs. Bowenkamp. He made no deathbed confession, but someone wrote in a memorial tribute that he was a good, brave man. McFadin, the lawyer who once told The New York Times the town got away with murder, is dead, too. Worse felonies included assault and arson. The death of Ken Rex McElroy is a perplexing case that has hung heavy over the town of Skidmore, Missouri for decades. And its likely to stay that way. Some people have attributed his strange behavior with this event. Everyone was so uncomfortable and scared.. 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.. The verdict was second-degree assault and two years. Many buildings are closed and falling apart. Ken stalks the family afterwards, and on the 8th, Ken shoots Bo Bowenkamp. His father was a tenant farmer, his mother a housewife swamped with feeding and caring for the sprawling family. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. McElroys wifewhom he victimized as a childremarried and moved to Lebanon, Missouri. [2][3] In 1981, McElroy was convicted of attempted murder in the shooting of the town's 70-year-old grocer Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp. McElroy first began his relationship with McCloud when she was 14 and the two had a child shortly thereafter. Tucked away in the northwest corner of Missouri is a small, dusty town 46 miles north of St. Joseph with a decades-old secret. 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. A reported crowd of up to 60 men had largely dispersed, but some onlookers remained, staring at the pickup. In all, he was indicted 21 times but escaped conviction each time, except for the last. To the residents of the small town, he was the town bully. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. The police chief who oversaw the investigation, Hal Riddle, disagrees. Ken Rex McElroy was an American known as "the town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri. RELATED: 10 Of The Best Docuseries You Should Be Watching Now Each episode is around 40 minutes each and contains dramatic and intimate . McElroy sat outside the foster home for hours at a time staring at it. 1952: Ken McElroy marries his first wife Oleta. No one has been charged in connection with McElroys death. Retribution was slow coming to Ken McElroybut lightning fast when it happened. At some point in his life, McElroy was believed to have been seriously injured on a construction site, causing him to suffer from chronic pain. Still working within the justice system, witnesses who saw McElroy with the gun gave the information the county prosecutor needed to request a bond revocation hearing. There wasn't much parental supervision, but McElroy had a knack for taking care of himself.