The citizens of Skidmore Missouri apparently protecting the person or persons firing the shots. Harry MacLean, author of "In Broad Daylight". Make sure that the file is a photo. It sounded like the Wild West out there.''. By the age of 15, Ken Rex had dropped out of school and established himself as a coon hunter, and thief. Two people decided in the midst of that whole incident theyd had enough, MacLean said. Am looking forward to your next post and the pictures you spoke of. He had many affairs over the course of his marriage to both Alice and his first wife Sharon. 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. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? A pact of silence was made between the witnesses. Copyright 2017 Wagner & Lynch | 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. You know what he was like. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Who was Ken Rex McElroy? Not one of them felt bad. Even after all that had happened between McElroy and her family, Alice moved back into the McElroy family home with her son. Its called the Outcast Cafe, and is big and clean and cheap. Women had a harder time with it than the men. The two came out from the back of the store, also becoming subject to the couples ranting. He didnt just like being with many women, he did have a type, young girls. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. Why were they diligently carrying out this investigation into the killing of the man who had made their lives miserable for so long? But there was no reason to go looking for trouble. Not long after leaving school, McElroy sustained a head injury when he fell from a hay wagon. Unresolved: The Town That Killed Ken McElroy 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. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. (source: Inside Edition). 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 slept in shifts, with some friend or family member keeping an eye on the street. GREAT NEWS! Sally had three children with McElroy and Sharon had another two. Skidmore looks different. We stood up and did the right thing. It has a bar, and music on the weekend. He was the fifteenth of sixteen children born to a poor, migrant tenant farming family that moved between Kansas and the Ozarks before settling outside of Skidmore, Missouri. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Fidelity wasnt a strong suit of Ken Rex, or of any interest to him at all for that matter. The justice system had failed them once again. Few residents seem to care. But it was too late. ). He had steel blue eyes that would bore a hole right through you. Ken McElroy - Wikipedia WebA collection of obituaries found in the British Newspaper Archives. You dont take cases to trial to see what might happen, the former prosecutor said. Browse All 237,537 Images. His conviction was for second-degree assault and he was sentenced to just two years - for shooting someone in the neck. He was 47 years old. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. When the meeting ended, the group made their way across the street to the tavern to confront McElroy. 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. They know how everybody thinks.. Injured at work? We went everywhere we could, but justice would stay delicately out the way, she said. Each time anyone brought charges against him (which happened a total of twenty-one times), he would intimidate his accusers into dropping the charges, leaving them terrified and fearing for their lives. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Ken was 18 and Oleta was 16. From 12 to 60 people, by varying estimates, marched down the street. 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. 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. 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 guns were never recovered. 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. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Longstanding Grudges. Unresolved: The Town That Killed Ken McElroy All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. He had been charged with more than 20 felonies, robbing, raping, burning, shootings. In Broad Daylight (source: harrymaclean.com). The plan was to discuss how they were going to protect themselves from McElroy for the next two weeks until the hearing. People Projects Discussions Surnames Davis Mr. Dunbar was asked if he knew who did it. They left, but for McElroy, it wasnt over. She was in shock but not physically injured. Get out of town, they said. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Weve updated the security on the site. Once, he even got out and fired a shotgun up in the pine tree by their house. Debbie Ann McElroy, age 54 of Conway, Missouri, passed away Sunday, June 14, 2020 at her home in Conway. Henry, his entrails falling into his lap, eased into unconsciousness and assumed death. 24 Jan 2012 (aged 55) Conway, Laclede County, Missouri, USA. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. He went to Trenas parents home, where he viciously beat Trena and Alice, then burned the McCloud house to the ground. As Trena told the story to reporters, a group of men followed them as they left the D&G. We had shoplifting, but a lot of people were on hard times. It wasnt long before he became a violent menace, his more serious crimes including rape, assault and child molestation. You can always change this later in your Account settings. When he got off on a trial, it grew even bigger. Estes, the sheriff some tried to implicate in a conspiracy, is dead. Try again later. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Ken Rex McElroy was born in poor and squalid conditions. He told them he was coming to pick up his son, and if anyone tried to stop him, he would kill them. McElroy for years had terrorized the small town of Skidmore Missouri, and was considered the town bully. I dont believe youre coming nowafter we needed your help all this time.. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? 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. 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. The county prosecutor, David Baird, said there was not much more he could do. People Projects Discussions Surnames By 14 years old Trena was pregnant with their first child. Ken McElroy and the Vigilantes of Skidmore, Missouri We might not see him for three or four days, and then wed see him every day for weeks, Monte said. Bo survived, McElroy was arrestedbut he got out on bail, and began harassing the officer who arrested him, Richard Stratton. Needless to say, McElroy was having none of this. ''We follow new leads, but there aren't many,'' Mr. Baird said. 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.