The same cops who ignored McElroys crimes were rousting them trying to find his killers. If anyone has information on Treena family I would love to know what happened to them all . I had planned to get back there this past summer, but didnt make it. The justice system failed in releasing this revengeful, dangerous man back to his community. While I know no one in this story or in the town I feel compelled to add my personal thoughts. Gary N. Dowling I see the obit photo for the second alleged shooter. Yes it was 2 men they were relations to eachother but the one who shot him was visiting at the time.He is dead now of prostate cancer about 10 years or more. Also didnt Cheryl marry the town mayor or sheriff? As cities become larger, small towns (those beyond the suburban area of cities) become smaller, and unless family farmers have some price support, its unlikely theyll survive, and many small towns will die with them. Del and my grandpa has hauled cattle together. He would have done well to learn that if you live by the sword, you die by the sword. Rolling Stone and Playboy both did long, overblown pieces on the story. a narcissistic psychopath that made even the mafia look simple in comparison.. the day they snapped, it was when the last straw had been broken and good people were desperate & did a desperate thing. In an earlier post you stated Del Clement, in my view, was also a coward. Remember the incident well, and couldnt read enough about it at the time. Who else would shoot a man in the back of the head as he sat in his truck? It would appear that you are using the connotation for coward, (i.e. I worked for his brother in Hot Springs Ar. why did she leave skidmore ? How would you attempt to relate to him? Harry, what is your opinion on what happened to the killing files in the Sheriffs office? You should check out the history of FALLS COUNTY TEXAS sometime. Other accounts say an 8 mm. Please think before you write, you are talking about someone very dear to me and many others. My god, the ferocity of the guy to have the balls to shoot an old aged pensioner inthe neck, what guts! The third person with the shotgun was always a theory, but never proven. 6. A guy I know used to go to school at NWMSU in Maryville, and a friend of his who was a deputy sheriff told him to stay the hell out of skidmore, because Ken Rex didnt like college kids too well. Further on, not too far, is the lot where Kens house once stood. There are more facts, but Id have to dig into my research for them. I watched a YouTube video of you, the lawyer and family members on the talk show. Dont kid yourselfthere are no tough guys left after one minute in hell. Then is was simply hauled off by a wrecker and taken to the insurance company. I agree with almost everything you said. Ken McElroy terrorized his town for years. I read your book and think it is great. Ken had been ruining business in town. I live about an hour away from this area still. AND the pedophile I will add, yet again. In the incident in the bar, I was not asking Del questions. Ken Rex was bad news from day one. The town did what needed to be done.. If in fact Del Clement was the shooter, I was curious as to why he would have shot McElroy. Perhaps you were drunk, too, I live in Independence, MO (after living in LA and Indiana) not far from SkidmoreO have read this book three times it is so goodthe entire story is one of the most intriguing incidents everYou did a GREAT job (And I am a screenwriter, myself (and actor/comedian)I hope you have other true story books, cause I want to read themAre you into screenwriting as well? Obituaries I identify with the descriptions of rural Missouri,in that timeframe,growing up at that time in the same setting in central Missouri. 1964: Ken meets another girlfriend named Alice Wood. Law Enforcement did NOTHING. And where can you find his photo? This is the second time i have read In Broad Daylight. I first heard of this story in a special edition of People Magazine (True Crime Stories; 2005). Hi Harry. Thats how human nature works. But with time I enjoy the outrage I can provoke on YouTube by maintaining Ken Rex was merely a bad ass, and youre all just jealous. I thought Judgment Day was pretty much of a joke, but you could understand my bias. While it had some Hollywood necessaries (I suppose) in it, I was surprised to see some aspects of the movie were depicted just as I have read and appreciated that. The movie people couldnt get releases from many of those involved, so they just decided to change all of the names. I knew he was gone from work the same day as Kens funeral but didnt put anything together. (May 1, 1939 June 9, 2014). Judging from the photos on FB, it appears that it may be where the Bowenkamps grocery store was located (judging from photos I saw in your book In Broad Daylight, and some YouTube videos that tourists have posted). I do not see that you wrote of this in your comments. I just came across a brief posting about him on Facebook and true crime always fascinates me. I need to ponder a few things before I attempt to ask any more, and I will let you know how the trip fares. I look forward to getting your new POD paperback. Trena, McElroys wife, even told the story that a man showed up at the McElroy farm outside Skidmore to kill McElroy for money, but that McElroy talked him out of it. Yet, to this day, the crime remains unsolved. When the Social Contract is broken, the people must revolt. Rousseau. those involved who took the oath to keep silent will take it to the grave with them. My feeling is that he did, but he could not show fear. Hi Harry, I would like to know which books you have on the case of Ken McElroy of Skidmore aka the town bully. As the old proverb says; Desperate times call for desperate measures.. Doesnt Ken have a daughter in law named Tonya? Skidmore is just one of many victims of small town plight. According to the Movie (which was shot near Elgin Texas) a Missouri State Trooper had to Break the Law and threaten McElroy with murder to get him to stop stalking the Troopers wife and family. Was McElroy harassing him or something? (for one thing, murdering a human being isnt easy for most of us). I found this topic intriguing because of all of the controversy and opinions surrounding it. This normally occurs when we are children, from our parents. Harry, Thank you. This is such an intriguing story. Ken McElroy got what was coming to him. This man was a domestic terrorist whose actions were deadly to anyone and everyone that crossed him. The bar was open, a gal named Pam owns and operates it now. Im curious why you felt No One Saw A Thing was junk. It has dredged up so much. Although I do understand why some of the locals wish it would just go away. THAT wasnt enough for Trena & Ken,( they should had admonished their child) but oh no, they had to make a nuisance of themselves and culminating in Ken shooting an elderly man. He didnt deserve any better. Ken would had sooner or later murdered. As for how he died, if you will submit the autopsy report confirming the massive heart attack, I will correct the record. Nothing will ever happen because everyone hated him and the towns people would say the shooters were not there to the law anyways. all of us took an oath , the shooters & the other witnesss .it was surreal as to what happened . Thanks for taking the time to write. Associated Press 6. measure .321 in diameter; bullets for the 8 mm measure .323 in diameter. Until then, mums the word. yeah , he looked just like fucking McElroy ,lol. Hell, he might have actually been loving the anger he was generating. you never know. Still, thanks for writing there are two sides to every story. Harry, I love this book for more than the story itself,which is amazing. Gary N. Dowling You or your crew. Also, its been talked about a lot on Facebook. It is assumed that Del was one of the shooters but are you at liberty to name the other two? It didnt have to end like this if the law did their job. Not to mention the event, which I will remind you he was never found guilty of, occurred a lifetime ago. He abused Alice verbally and physically, and when she gave birth to their son, she moved out to live with her mother and stepfather In St Joseph, the next town over from Skidmore. I know for an absolute FACT that ballistics (as far as a crime scene investigations are concerned) have been around for a very long time. The town died after this event. I spent 8 years in the Marines. ; a timid or easily intimidated person. I just heard that a new cafe has opened in Skidmore, in the old B & B grocery store. the people of skidmore mo murdered ken rex mcelroy-plain & simple. If so, I am sorry to hear that, from all indications he was a gentleman and I would have loved to have met him. Over the years he learned a well spoken threat, a well placed punch or the look, was enough to quail opposition, in most instances. I dont think Del knew he was actually going to shoot McElroy until an instant before he reached inside the truck and grabbed his rifle. Another note about Del, he was not a fighter, he wouldnt have started a fight. Why dont you get your facts strait. I still look upon the town for all the nice things and nice people who were beyond friendly to me. If Clement was one of the gunment, he was just protecting his neighbors. The few times I saw him he was drunk, once so badly he could barely stand. Whats a drunken short man routine? The likelihood that a serious offer was made and accepted seems highly unlikely, given McElroys reputation and his many friends in the area. I was 13 when my father myself and my two sisters. I have a first issue hard copy that was my grandfathers and he left to me after his passing in 2006. We made several trips to see them after that and while my mother would here from Ronnie and Treva from time to time we never knew where they were . Dying of sclerosis of the liver is a slow process; it allows the person time to reflect on his life, to prepare to meet his maker. Was Ken armed at the time that he was killed? Cheryl has been married a few times, but never as far as I know to the mayor or sheriff. I know how hard it is for loved ones to take an honest look at a member of their family. Thank you for the reply. fist fight. Shooting an innocent elderly unarmed man is cowardice. Almost ghost-like in the downtown area. and actually spent time there with Del when he visited, as well as traveled to his ranch outside of Skidmore over a three and a half year span. Are there any Pics of the Aftermath.. Morgue pics of the Body? The town has not changed much, a few places have really gone to hell; I have pics of the junk place that man needs to be strung up. The food was quite good and the young waitress was very hospitable. Ken Rex McElroy (1 Juni 1934 - 10 Juli 1981) adalah warga Skidmore, Nodaway County, Missouri, Amerika Serikat. Can you talk a bit more about the series? By this time we was turning at top of the hill Trena McElroy, center, is led to a car with her stepson Ken McElroy Jr. and an unidentified man following Ken Rex McElroy's funeral in Maryville, Mo. McElroy had been indicted a total of 21 times for crimes such as: child molestation, arson, cattle rustling, and stealing. I would love to find someone in the area who would describe this drunken short man routine you speak of. Gary N. Dowling, 75, of Mission, TX, and formerly of the Maryville and Skidmore, MO, area, passed away on Monday, June 9, 2014, at his home in Mission, where he had lived the past several years. unless the last living person of that oath is on their deathbed & decides to tell who the shooter was, the shooter that they all covered for. Thoroughly engrossing, its easy to see how this became a bit of an obsession for you, for lack of a better word, and Ive turned a few of my friends onto the subject along the way. Gary farmed west of Maryville most all his life. Im back and have a few pictues that I will post to my site once I have gone through them all. I relied on the FBI report on stating on the caliber of the shells. I did get the side eye from someone who walked in though, when I was by the front door looking at the photos on the wall. I hear more and more stories as time goes on. When the legal system was unable to catch him, the community took it upon themselves to stop him themselves. The image by Google is dated 2019. Some of the witnesses to the crime left town, and as time wore on a few of them died. McElroy was soon infatuated with his future child bride. Too many other people demanded to get a piece of Ken too bad, 4) Ken was the coward..the town was defended what was rightfully theirs! I am still working through a few. we all talked & took a vow of silence , NO MATTER WHAT to our death bed. He was bold, to say the least. This book is still very important because of this unique situation which involved the people of northwest Missouri. He never brought up the book or this story again. The most well known but never verified incident involved a time supposedly in the seventies when he stretched a guy over the railroad tracks around St. Joe and watched as the train ran over him. In this day and age we would have a ream of cell phone photos of the funeral, which I would definitely have run. McElroy was a rabid dog that needed to be destroyed, whether shot between the eyes or in the back of the head. Either on his person or in the vehicle? I will post a link once I have all the pictures posted. He told me Ken had a presence but that he wasnt scared or intimidated by him. This book will still be important 100 years from now not only for the decendants from this area but for the entire midwest and beyond. But thousands were chambered in 32 W.S. So, on July 10, 1981, they reached their point of no return, reacted to an impulsive decision to take the law into their hands, and thats exactly what they did. When we went on the N.W.O. Im sure theyre out there somewhere in cyberspace. He ended up having six children and many grandchildren. And you need to learn how to spell: strait is straight. I came from a town just like thathad 1500 people and now has 230. farmers used to go to town to buy their shoes for the kids and groceriesnow there are no farmers. As we Ken Rex and his memory live on and he is a hero to some I am just letting you all know that. They probably had bad dreams over it and Ken Rex won because he still haunts them and the town of Skidmore. To this day, locals are not welcoming to strangers. The death of Ken Rex McElroy is a perplexing case that has hung heavy over the town of Skidmore, Missouri for decades. He could never understand why the townspeople had tolerated so much before acting. I just ordered the new edition from Amazon and it is on the way. Ken Rex McElroy, a notoriously brutal man who had terrorized Skidmore, Mo., for years, was killed in 1981. I was trying to look at the site of Mcelroys farm on google earth. I would assume, although I dont know, that Sheriff Estes took then when he left office. 3. It would take a heavy zoning push to straighten the guy up, and my guess is nobody in own cares to undertake the chore. Ia dikenal sebagai "tukang rusuh kota". 2. and to your footnote I was born close this town but have since move. At far right is McElroy's former wife Alice Woods. Its so hard to imagine that he was not dealt with long before, I mean a good beat down every time he came to town. Check out Sheriff Brady Pamplin and his son Brady Pamplin Jr. who became Sheriff as well. Harry said,: Del Clement, in my view, was also a coward. I feel for the people of Skidmore. (Tongue firmly in cheek.). I hope thats not true, but it wouldnt surprise me if it was. Knew people that had bought or traded coonhounds with/from him. Way Way before 1981. And if not, a few dollars to the right lawyer would suffice. Were the cops afraid of him? Instead of writing some kind of relevant answer on the issue, you took your time to harass someone who was nice enough to give a deeper insight from first hand witnessing. McElroy should have been taken care of by law enforcement officers and the courts. Although the trip is for a weekend of bird hunting, it will be interesting to see how things how changed, and yet remained the same. When I first traveled to Skidmore in 1982, the first name I heard as the shooter was Del Clement. He stopped in Skidmore driving from New York to California, prior to making the movie, to check the town out. Del and his brother Greg also owned the only tavern in town, the D and G, for Del and Greg, and McElroy was famous for driving away customers. Pausing to milk it a little too long. Especially while drinking in the presence of overly curious people. b) They later had a child together. Harry. Ken Tex McElroy had it coming. Whether it was in the heat of the moment or putting him down like a mad dog, I cannot say. Anyone else care to? 2) Planned or not a real man could have dealt with it..when your a bully you had better be readycause its always comin, 3) Del was the main shooter but he would have gladly been the ONLY shooter. There are always many sides to a person. i heard a rumour that someone wanted to pay for & put a statue of ken rex mcelroy in downtown skidmore- geez louise , are you freaking kidding me -thats all the local yocos need , a staue of the man who terrorized & bullied them for years. A more recent movie Without Mercy is available but am always concerned about Hollywoods artistic license production option when it comes to making it more appealing (even though I did not notice it in your movie) and was wondering if you have viewed it? Do you believe that Baird agreed to allow you access tot he files because he already knew they were gone? The locals had a lot of fun with the Playboy author, feeding him all sorts of bullshit, then seeing him run it down or put it in his article. Some internet accounts have one of the rifles being a 30-30. I believe they had a little boy. Estes certainly did not come off well in the whole McElroy story. Waving a shotgun around and shooting old unarmed men doesnt make him look so brave to me. Since neither did their jobs, well, this is what happens. What are your thoughts on this? Im not looking to cause a row, but my quandary is this; What should a person do when the system has failed them? The property appears fenced off & unused but adjacent to a larger property containing a current and newish residence. There does not need to be a reeenactment. The vast majority of these rifles were chambered in 30-30; the Winchester 94 is practically synonymous with the 30-30 chambering. A misanthrope that even treated his dogs, that he apparently loved, badly. They are all over. as we paid for our items he followed us out the door & watched us get into our car & leave. It was pretty gruesome. I find it funny when they get that goofy grin on their face when I confront them just before they say no, I never said that, or try and shake my hand and be my buddy. Werent there a couple of men who were offered a lot of money to blow him away? McElroy moved out of his family home to be with Alice, but this relationship was no different from his previous ones. That was July 9, 1981, and Trena claimed that just before the shots were fired she looked over her shoulder and saw a local cowboy pull a rifle from her pickup and take aim at Ken. The people commenting were not representative of the town. I just came across Harrys description of the location of the McElroy house. Not that it really matters, I suppose. I put it together mainly because the book was out of print other than on Kindleand I felt that a real book should always be available. Check google maps, street view. Alice died a few years ago. I know how people get frustrated and i realize how this happened with mcelroy! Some of the witnesses to the crime left town, and as time wore on a few of them died. We hope something like this never happens again but if it is necessary then so be it. Those people TRIED to get some relief, they were ignored. Then the shooter and his cousin ran to there truck pulled there rifles out then my mom grabed me by the wrist pulled me inside and heard a few shots sounded like a few from a 22 caliber then one big really loud shot id say a hunting rifle from my shooting experience. I read the Playboy version, wasnt real impressed with it. The irony of course is that the way they got it back was to take a mans life. I know you have a lot of loyalty to the town, but how do you balance that with the law? lol. None of those last two incidents is surprising. As long as there are bullies (like this scum who was properly dealt with by his peers in broad daylight) then this story should keep being told and this comments section should be open. It shows a mentality very close to Dels. Hi Im looking into this case as part of my Extended Project Qualification and would like to know whether or not you believe that McElroys murder was justifiable? As I understand it and read your post, you were on the same corner as my grand father that morning opposite of Sumys. ALL cowards that rape children, burn peoples homes, shoot close range into unarmed peoples stomach & shoot hard working elderly frail innocent people deserve a shot in the back of their heads. They get away with crimes so much they begin to think they are INVINCIBLE. Too bad Skidmore closed the only Discipline and Grammar school in town when McElroy bullied the town. Unfortunately the town does seem to be a long downhill slide, with people leaving and places closing. A year or so after the book was published, I met one of Kens kids who had been adopted out as a child. I would be very interested to find out your source of information. He rushed us out to the car. We have gotten NO RELIEF from Law Enforcement whatsoever. At the time, McElroy was still married to his third wife, Alice Woods. Memorial services are planned for July and will be announced. i just got back to the states this year was in italy taking care of a family member for some time. but the shooters are dead now and wives. del was a coward and a asshole hope he burns in hell for what he did. Just purchased The Story Behind . She told of one incident in particular where her family was present when his property was being buzzed repeatedly by a low flying plane. But there are a lot of these places, the killing in public and a rural towns solidarity which I am sure is based somewhat on Loyalty and for others FEAR. The sheriff was chagrined to admit that the official files were not in his office. d) He soon became bored and moved on to another underage girl. I would rather have a bio that reads defense attorney than town drunk , One can be both a defense attorney as well as the town drunk. The plans are set, I am going back the weekend of the 5th. The nice pickup Kenrex And Trina had just gotten into. Kenny boy didnt seem to have a problem threatening anybody old or smaller than him. We are within an hours drive from Skidmore. Why wasnt the surrounding area taped off and secured by law enforcement for the investigation? Eventually sitting on a sidewalk across the street from what was the D&B. I have read all the comments, here are some comments that I am sure most wont like, but hey, to each their own right? Also, Im kind of curious about how this event affected other people and america. Looked at your bio. I dont know how I missed your book then, but so glad I have read it now. The bullet must have been mis-identified as an 8 mm bullet; just 2 thousands of an inch different. Trena sad she saw him clear as day, what more do you need? Mine included, reading your untrue account of his life and death does not offer any peace in our mourning. I bet not one of them had the gnads to look him in the eye and do it, even with the crowd around let alone one on one, both with guns in hand. Walked out the door. We should not judge them for their action, after all, they had to live and deal with this atmosphere of intimidation and fear on a daily basis. . a) Ken moved out of his family home so he could be with Alice. I havent been back to Skidmore in a couple of years, so Im not sure about whether the post office is still open or not. yeah thats exactely how it happened , it wasnt planned . He was constantly committing crimes and threatening the townspeople. How could someone get away with these kinds of crimes for so long?! The person I met was a prominent person in the town. Thoughts? Most of the guys in NW MO can take care of themselves and would not be afraid of Ken if they had a gun in their hands. All ten cops. He had no social security number and never filed a tax return. I was good friends with the town Marshall, David Dunbar. Ive been watching No One Saw a Thing on Sundance. After reading the brief and not so informative posting on Facebook, I then Google Kens name and began reading more about it and finally one of the links brought me to your comment thread here! I also read Judgement Day, it was worth reading although you can tell its not as accurate. I read the book, the epilogue, and the Making of(thanks Kindle store!). He was drunk and became outright hostile to me. err sorry my grammars for crap) what he had done might be exactly that way. What McElroy would say about his portrayal in the book is another subject, and one which I would hesitate to hazard a guess on.
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