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to Kenneth and Sharon Fossinger McElroy.She was preceded in death by her father.Debbie was born in the Skidmore area and attended school there. POPULATION: ONE BAD MAN - PART I - Wagner & Lynch Law Firms McElroy had four wives and more than 10 children. The Holocaust is a dark chapter in human history, and many of its stories are forever etched in the memories of survivors. McElroy, to say the least, wasnt well liked. He has 11 offspring with three different mothers. Suddenly, defendants who had been assaulted or witnesses who had seen McElroy's impropriety would spot a pick-up truck parked outside their house or hear a shotgun going off in the middle of the night. McElroy was still on his campaign of terror. Henry survived and McElroy was charged. A whole city, fed up with the legal state's failures, took matters into its fists and got away with it. On July 10, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was killed in one of the investigators' strangest instances. Other murders have occurred in surrounding Nodaway Countysince 1981yet everyone knows that the murder of Ken McElroy, and the secret the town keeps, remainSkidmores deadly legacy. Those threats hung over the entirety of Skidmore. Trena looked around, then behind them. Together they raised three children, built a second home in Lincolnville Maine, travelled internationally, attended the opera regularly, and pursued a number of hobbies, including scuba diving. Ken beat the charges by marrying Trena so that she couldnt testify against him. They wrong the governor and attorney general. 117-128 m (384-420 ft) Website. 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 dragged the girls back home, and then returned to his mother-in-laws house to shoot the family dog and burn down the home. McFadin never asked too many questions not when McElroy placed a wad of cash on his desk and asked for help. There were three or four dozen witnesses. This should have been the reprieve from terror that the citizens of Skidmore so desperately needed. Bonus fact: The murder of McElroy isnt Skidmores most grisly crime. Ultimately, Ken would be indicted on 21 He went to the D&G Tavern carrying a bayonet attached to an M1 Garand rifle. Yet he was never convicted. In Broad Daylight (book) - Wikipedia A long-time resident of Connecticut, Alice lived in Glastonbury and Old Saybrook until 2019 when she moved to Burke, Virginia. Three years later, McElroys wife filed a $6 million wrongful death suit against the town, the county, and several other individuals, including a local rancher named Del Clement, who Trena identified as one of the shooters. He was freed on bond. Predictably, he hired McFadin to represent him. It's said the county's law enforcement officials were afraid of encountering McElroy, who was known to be heavily armed. Uncategorized He and wife Trena climbed in and fired up the truck, then paused to grab a cigarette. He had motive. Related: In Broad Daylight by Harry MacLean, a 416 page paperback on the McElroy story. He simply grabbed Trena and walked out, towards his truck. She was 12 years old. Want to learn all sorts of interesting things? A Kansas marshal summed up much of what was going on when he proclaimed; Some people simply deserve killing.. A shot shattered the car window and ripped through McElroy, leaving glass everywhere. In what was becoming a routine occurrence, McElroy enlisted McFadin to represent him in the resulting criminal case. McElroy also developed a skill for brandishing weapons, and intimidation. Evelyn Sumy was a clerk at a local grocery store that was owned by 72-year old, Ernest Bo Bowenkamp. They tried playing nice. Men stood near vehicles that held rifles and shotguns inside. In 1971, he met his last wife, Trena. Shortly after being released, McElroy was at D&G Tavern making threats about murdering Bowenkamp. The residents of Skidmore began to feel hopeless. In the interim, McElroy stuck to his usual strategy of intimidating victims, driving by the Bowenkamp household and making harassing calls. Ken McElroy was shot twice with bullets from two different guns. the state of Missouri. Despite his reputation for meanness and known criminal behavior, Ken had a way with the ladies. In the dead of night, he'd pull up next to farmers' hog pens and make off with animals he could sell at auction or to third parties who knew better than to ask too many questions. to Kenneth and Sharon Fossinger McElroy. On July 10, 1981,McElroy was murdered in broad daylight while sitting in his car, next to his wife Trena, in front of the Skidmore pool hall. Trena managed to get a $17,000 settlement in a wrongful-death civil suit against the county sheriff, Skidmore's mayor, and Clement, and nothing more. Hed sit outside their home, holding his gun, and make threats. The book was reissued in 2007 by St. Martin's Press with a new epilogue. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! The grocery store and school have both closed down. Later that same day, McElroy and his wife Trena drove into town in his pickup and returned to the D&G Tavern. Others suggest he suffered a traumatic brain injury when he fell off a hay wagon as a young boy and incurred a head injury which required a steel plate implant. The murder took place on July 10, 1981, the day after McElroy had threatened Bowenkamp at the tavern. First, they got a change of venue. McElroy first began his relationship with McCloud when she was 14 and the two had a child shortly thereafter. Now 47, he is the same age McELroy was when he was shot to death on the main street of Skidmore Missouri. ", "Skidmore still hush on killing of town bully,", Martin, Claire, "Town's shame, without blame,", Peterson, Iver, "Missouri Town Is Silent Over Shooting Of The County Bully,". McElroy was hit twice and died. Killing Fields: The Town That Got Away With Murder, Martinis & Murder podcast Episode #136 Murdered in Broad Daylight. A judge allowed McElroy out on a $40,000 bond pending an appeal of the conviction. From the Archives:Murder, He Wrote: How a journalist helped solve an unsolved murder in the strangest of ways. Nobody bothered to call an ambulance. They could keep Trena, but hed take their daughter in return. This article takes a deeper look at the events of the 1997 flood and how it has shaped the park in the years since. "Then they went home and kept their mouths shut and kept them closed all these years. McElroy drove customers away from the tavern, and stole livestock from Dels farm. Later, she moved to Conway to be near her sister.She is survived by two sons, Wendell Cole and Bobby McElroy, both of Kansas City, Kansas; three grandchildren, Seleah, Malachi and Malik; her mother, Sharon Wilhoit of Helena, Mo. Predictably, he hired McFadin to represent him. As the case dragged on without a court date, Henry claimed that McElroy parked outside his home at least 100 times. McElroy was accused of raping two young women, as young as 12 years old, both of whom he was said to have "married" to keep them from testifying against him. Only July 10, 1981, there was a meeting at the town hall, down the street from D&G Tavern. The FBI, Jury Trials, or State Attorneys could not persuade people. Thankfully, Bowenkamp would survive, and McElroy would be arrested for attempted murder. It was a sunny, clear summer day. At the D&G Tavern, he brandished a rifle with a bayonet attached to it, vowing to finish the job on Bowenkamp. In August of 1980, McElroy made attempts to intimidate the Bowenkamp family and their supporters to prevent them from testifying. And then, McElroy came up with a plan to get away with it. But McElroy was undaunted. Married in 1953, Alice and her late husband, John, were inseparable throughout their sixty six year marriage. The flood caused unprecedented destruction but also provided valuable insights into park management, leading to improvements in infrastructure and preparedness for future disasters. McElroy's murder took place in front of as many as 45 witnesses. town has seen a number of violent crimes that were so heinous and bizarre that The man Trena named, Del Clement, passed away in 2009. The town, which sits in the northwest corner of Missouri about a hundred miles from Kansas City, had a population of around 440 people in 1981, and just about all of those people knew Ken Rex McElroy. The charges came as a result of what Trena had told the police. She was taken to a foster home in Maryville with the couple's baby. He would sit outside Trenas foster house, always holding his gun, and make threats. The county, the state, and even the federal government all failed to identify who had fired the shots. California's recent passage of new diesel-engine emissions regulations marks a significant milestone in the fight against air pollution. The guilty verdict from the shooting of the shopkeeper, though, didnt stick. Eventually, he dropped out of school at 15 in the eighth gradeand shortly thereafter became known as a delinquent throughout Skidmore. Yes! The percentage of adults smoking cigarettes in the United States has fallen to a historic low, with recent data showing that only 11% of adults consider themselves current cigarette smokers. The first of Kens wives was Sharon, who gave her husband 4 daughters and a son. He was indicted as many as 21 times, but escaped conviction all but once. They were stationed on Skidmore's major. McElroy had no reservations about stuffing a shotgun in someone's face or belly to make a point. First, they got a change of venue. It may seem like the final scene from Road House, so it's not Cinematic fiction. Every now and then, he would fire a warning shot into the air. No one called an ambulance. Despite its small population, the town has a long history of violence, and an unusually high crime rate per capita (murder rate included). The 15th of 16 children, McElroy was already a McElroy's widow sued Skidmore. She was an active participant in a Womens Health Study with Brigham and Womens Hospital from 1992 through 2021. As lawyer, Richard McFadin delayed the case through a series of legal stalling tactics, Ken intimidated Romaine by sitting in his truck on Henrys property brandishing a shotgun. Many patrons were alarmed and decided to see what they could legally do to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. [CDATA[ Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In 1988, Harry MacLean vividly recreated the murder in his true crime investigation In Broad Daylight, earning him the Edgar Award in 1989. Likely, this lack of consequences had something to do with the allegations made by witnesses that McElroy would intimidate, stalk, and harass them before his crimes went to trial. 78-115 m (256-377 ft) 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km 2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. document.write ("'><\/scr"+"ipt>"); Clearly, by the time McCloud gave birth to McElroy's child, any illusions she may have had about the man were swept away. Sliding out of trouble was a McElroy specialty. 6. Despite Henry's own word in the case, McElroy vehemently denied being at the scene. Skidmore, Part Three - The Murder of Ken Rex McElroy Reporting on what you care about. McElroy then took out his trusty shotgun, waved it around, and then fired at shot at Bo. Perhaps they could have held out for a month or two. Anyone in Skidmore rejoicing at the news McElroy had finally been cornered by the law found their relief short-lived. In 1981, in the tiny farming town of Skidmore, Missouri, Ken McElroy was gunned down in broad daylight in the middle of the towns main street. McElroy then fired a bullet into Bowenkamp's neck. Ken Rex McElroy's Lost Son | Harry N. MacLean if (document.referrer) document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer)); He was beyond a bully, more of a self-imposed dictator who ran the town of Skidmore like his personal kingdom, literally raping and . During trial, Henrys own petty criminal conviction was discovered from 30 years before. felony charges over the years. Ken Rex McElroy was born on June 1st, 1934. Attacking the town grocer was McElroy's last lousy deed. Many of the same people who once cowered from McElroy now discussed the best way to protect their town from another rampage. if (document.context) document.write ("&context=" + escape(document.context)); Others in the town were not happy with what they saw as another of many miscarriages of justice. McElroy was born in 1934, the 15th of 16 children to poor, migrant tenant-farming parents. Its important to remember that she was also one of his victims. Debbie Ann McElroy, age 54 of Conway, Missouri, passed away Sunday, June 14, 2020 at her home in Conway. Like what youre reading? Even though she demanded $6 million, the case was agreed to settle for only around $17,000, and neither party acknowledged any fault. He had been charged with more than 20 felonies, robbing, raping, burning, shootings. May 29, 2013 He followed her to her parents home, and demanded she return. Alice worked as a registered nurse at Hartford Hospital and a local nursing home, specializing in geriatrics care. No, JUSTICE In Broad Daylight. Although there were more than 45 witnesses to the killing, and three grand juries considered the case, no one has been prosecuted for the killing. McCloud attempted to escape to her parents' house, but McElroy allegedly responded by burning down Trena's parents' home and shooting their dog. She was a victim just as much as the town of Skidmore was. He was arrested, booked, arraigned, and eventually released on $2,500 bail. its no surprise that the community was close-knit. They composed headlines like "Town Bully is Dead" and "Woman Says Husband Killed by Vigilante." Ferrires-en-Gtinais - Wikipedia McElroy was arrested and charged with arson, assault, and statutory rape. Agents sat in kitchens, hoping to pry even the tiniest bit of detail from locals. Trena became pregnant at age 14, and dropped out of school to raise the child. Trena says she looked out the back window of the truck in time to see Del Clement, the owner of the D&G Tavern, pull his rifle out of his truck. He received a two-year jail sentence. Either way, he left, illiterate, and earned a living as a raccoon hunter, cattle rustler, and thief. Despite his attempts at intimidation, the Bowenkamps never backed down. From grain and gasoline to livestock and antiques, if Ken Trena shouted in terror as he was smacked in the neck and head. Time and again, McElroy would simply walk away from serious charges with nothing more than a dent in his wallet. McElroy peeled off in his truck. Set in Skidmore, "Below the Fold" is a fictional mystery-thriller centered on the disappearance of a young girl. The group heard McElroy and Trena McCloud were spotted heading to the tavern nearby. Angera deep, long-simmering angerwas part of it, but so was a sense of obligation. Trena brought McElroy's kid into this world in 1973, and McElroy wedded her in 1974, as per Trena's narrative, to escape allegations of having a sexual relationship with a teenager. Why The 'No One Saw A Thing' Mystery Will Never Be Solved - Bustle This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Yes! As a warning of what would happen if they didnt let Trena marry him to avoid the aforementioned charges. Hello, I am a young passionate blogger very curious about discovering old and modern facts. Although there were over 30 eyewitnesses to McElroy's death in a tiny hamlet, investigators have no idea who killed him. The lost son of Ken Rex McElroy. July 10,. Skidmore's population continues to dwindle. McElroy was a predator, through and through. If he married Trena, she, as his wife,couldnt be compelled to testify against himin pending arson,statutoryrape, and other cases. Jurors found rattlesnakes in their mailboxes and could only assume McElroy had paid them a visit. The Town That Got Away With Murder Emily Thompson Morbidology Trena told Nodaway County's prosecuting attorney, David Baird, that it was Clement. Seriously, what is the deal with Skidmore, Missouri? This is the story of the vigilante-like death of Ken Rex McElroy. He intimidated people by driving by at night and firing a shotgun blast, putting a rattlesnake in their mailbox, etc. She was caught four days later and wassentencedto death. McElroys third wife, Trena McCloud, met Ken when he began dating her mother while she was 12. alice mcelroy skidmore - thesantacon.baltimoreevents.com Then, they claimed that McElroy shot the older man in self-defense. Lebanon police officer wins Mrs. Missouri American title, New addition to drop anchor in Lebanon Veterans Memorial Park, Folsom focuses on consequences in the courtroom, Laclede County Commission approves tax collection extension, 100 E. Commercial St. Lebanon, MO 65536 All arrangements for Debbie Ann McElroy will be private under the care and direction of Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Lebanon. At the age of 47, McElroy was shot dead in his truck. Related: Mark Mangelsdorf: The Man Who Killed His Best Friend and Got Away with It for 24 Years. She was the daughter of John and Jeanette Gundersen and was born February 25, 1932 in Brooklyn, NY, where she spent her childhood in what was then the predominantly Norwegian neighborhood of Bay Ridge. All photos provided by Harry MacLean; Cover of "In Broad Daylight" provided by Harry MacLean/Crime Rant Classics. One of the people shot was a local farmer named Romaine Henry, who McElroy shot in the stomach for trying to chase him off of Henry's own land.