Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Year should not be greater than current year. 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. He intimidated people by driving by at night and firing a shotgun blast, putting a rattlesnake in their mailbox, etc. Resend Activation Email. It really is that it was never spoken of they had an instinctive reaction to close up. One time, a farmer named Romaine Henry caught McElroy trespassing on his property and attempted to chase him off. 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. Residents seem more resentful, less willing to talk. McElroy soon bored of Sharon, Sally and his seven children, and found another underage girl, Alice Wood, who is widely referred to as McElroys second wife. They slept in shifts, with some friend or family member keeping an eye on the street. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. He showed back up in front of their house that night, and he and Trena sat there and watched them, Monte said. No one was surprised. He was struck by bullets from at least two GREAT NEWS! WebJune 16th, 1934: Ken Rex McElroy is born to Mabel and Tony McElroy, the thirteenth out of fourteen children. 1, it is murder. He told them he was coming to pick up his son, and if anyone tried to stop him, he would kill them. The last thing he saw as he slipped into blackness was Ken Rex McElroy walking back to his truck, removing a cigarette from the pack in his shirt pocket, and light it with the same easy motion one would do if lighting a smoke after a meal. Anywhere from 30 to 90 people watched the 47-year-old McElroy die in an act that ended his decade-long reign of terror over the people of Skidmore. No, the townspeople all would have known that the injury was attributable to an intentional act, and that Ken Rex was always the responsible party. Add to your scrapbook. This browser does not support getting your location. You dont take cases to trial to see what might happen, the former prosecutor said. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Skidmore is down from 450 (when I was there) to 325. But Skidmore is still Skidmore. This is a carousel with slides. McElroy was arrested and charged with arson, assault, and statutory rape. This account has been disabled. 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 mainstreet is eerily quiet in mid-morning. Oops, we were unable to send the email. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Try again later. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? In the summer of 1981, a jury handed McElroy his first-ever felony conviction for the lesser charge of second-degree assault. The older daughter paid for her items, but as they were leaving, the younger daughter grabbed some candy out of a jar and headed for the door. A couple of times, he got out of the truck and fired his shotgun into the air - all this over a couple pieces of candy. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. People Projects Discussions Surnames Heavy lids veiled cold, steel-blue eyes, making them look like half moons. Many speculate that McElroy also threatened the jury. Unsurprisingly, Skidmore residents were upset by the police presence in town. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. 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. But of course, McElroy filed an appeal of his conviction, and was let out on $40,000 bond while his appeal was pending. Try again. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Yes, its against the law, but you know, the law is not the final definitive word on him. Just as he was taking his first drag, the sound of two gunshots rang out. McElroy slumped forward onto the steering wheel. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? From a 2016 post from a person with the username "witness2akilling": "it [the killing] wasnt planned . Investigators found shell casings from two weapons a .22-caliber Magnum rifle and an 8 mm Mauser, a German World War I-era long-range rifle. Some of these things are simply assumed to be factual, Baird said. Try again later. This is not the story of a brutal man that terrorized his family and did bad things. They include the 1981 vigilante murder of town bully Ken Rex McElroy, whose killing by multiple gunmen was witnessed by dozens of residents, yet no one was You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. 0 cemeteries found in Saint Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri, USA. As the story has been told by MacLean and others, McElroy showed up at the D&G tavern and pool hall the next day toting a rifle with a bayonet a violation of his bond and threatened to finish off the Bowenkamps. He neutralized an entire criminal justice system.. MacLean doesnt believe the men gathered at the Legion hall that morning ever made a group decision to kill McElroy. Am looking forward to your next post and the pictures you spoke of. This was a punch in the gut to everybody in Skidmore. Had I sought out the Clements and their crowd, I would have gone to the Elks Club in Maryville on Saturday night, the scene of my almost-violent encounter with Del and his friends years ago. To describe McElroy as intimidating is putting it lightly. When he got off on a trial, it grew even bigger. ''It doesn't make for a real talkative environment. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. 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. System Trena McCloud went on to become Ken McElroys third wife ( lifedaily.com ). Needless to say, McElroy was having none of this. He went to Trenas parents home, where he viciously beat Trena and Alice, then burned the McCloud house to the ground. He specialized in stealing cattle and anything else he could get his hands on. As far as I could find, McElroy was married three times. '', See the article in its original context from. Ken Rex McElroy was born in poor and squalid conditions. There is a problem with your email/password. Mr. McElroy was hit in the head and neck. She ran away back into the arms of Ken Rex McElroy. GREAT NEWS! Before I left on my trip to Skidmore, I wondered on this blog if I would encounter any difficulty with local residents who had recently expressed concern, to put it lightly, over my characterization of shooter Del Clement as a short, hot-tempered drunk. He would follow the bus route that took Trena to school in his pickup truck. When either woman did raise his cheating as an issue, he simply beat them and tortured them as a reminder that they were not entitled to issues or the bringing of them up. It sounded like the Wild West out there.''. Skidmore residents were pleased that (some) justice was finally being served. ''Everybody knows what the next guy is saying and doing,'' said one investigator. There was an error deleting this problem. . 3. With the charges still looming over him, Ken Rex acted fast. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. It has a bar, and music on the weekend. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. They know the story of Ken McElroy, but they werent here when it happened. There was a kind of silent charity on the part of my parents, and they never prosecuted. WebKen Rex McElroy (1934-1981) - Find a Grave Memorial McElroy for years had terrorized the small town of Skidmore Missouri, and was considered the town bully. McElroy swaggered around town as he always did and sat drinking for hours at his usual haunt, the D&G Tavern. He quit.. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Trena McCloud's Civil Suit Against Skidmore, Missouri Revealed I have a feeling his neighbors would have described him somewhat differently. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. (source: Inside Edition). Trena had to be hospitalized because of her injuries. 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. He was very cunning, MacLean told Patch. 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. I will soon post photos of my visit. A lot of people were not happy about what happened, MacLean said. When they met him on the street, parents steered their children, especially their daughters, away from McElroy, a notorious womanizer who favored young women and was married multiple times including to a child bride he was accused of raping and fathered 15 children. One assumption Skidmore hasnt been able to shed is that McElroys killing was an act of vigilante justice. The murder of Ken Rex McElroy isnt unsolved in the typical sense of the word. ). Required fields are marked *. Henry, his entrails falling into his lap, eased into unconsciousness and assumed death. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Debbie was born in the Skidmore area and attended school there. A shotgun in his hands, Ken Rex turned toward the truck as it approached. 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. Behind those eyes laid the cold, calm embrace of violence and death that wrote his biography. Davis McElroy got a divorce from Sharon (or Alice, honestly Im not sure who he was married to at the time) and married Trena so that she would not be compelled to testify against him. Mr. Dunbar was asked if he knew who did it. This is the story of a bully, and to the town of Skidmore Missouri he was the meanest, nastiest, bully that has ever lived. It wasnt the kind of murder which goes unsolved for decades and eventually someone comes forward with the tip that breaks the case open. He ruled with an iron fist, inciting fear and causing a persistent sense of dread amongst townsfolk. McElroy for years had terrorized the small town of Skidmore Missouri, and was considered the town bully. Ken Rex McElroy was murdered on July 10, 1981, in one of the most bizarre cases authorities had ever encountered. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. By this point in his life Ken Rex had become a master of escaping punishment. The townspeople organized a caravan to escort the witnesses to the hearing both to protect them and to show solidarity. Anyone can read what you share. You feel it when you drive into town. 3PL . Dunbar talked to him, and [McElroy] pulled a gun on him, Monte said. Trena was admitted into foster care with her son. She died in 2012. 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. 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. Romaine Henry was a Skidmore resident and farmer. , . 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. She let it be known that she had gone ''somewhere in Missouri'' because someone might try to kill her. Alices stepfather, in so many words, told McElroy to shove it. But it was too late. Cite This Collection "British Newspaper Archives, Obituaries." just happened . However, there was more to Ken Rex than his size. Search above to list available cemeteries. -. He accused Romaine Henry of being a dirty S.O.B. and said that Henry had been at his place in a white Pontiac. ''We follow new leads, but there aren't many,'' Mr. Baird said. 24 Jan 2012 (aged 55) Conway, Laclede County, Missouri, USA. Verify and try again. Im having trouble downloading the pictures, but should have them up soon. You know what he was like. There are a bar, a grain elevator, a bank, Mom's Cafe, B & B Groceries and a hardware store, but agriculture is the main business. , . Our law enforcement never went after him very hard, he said. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. McElroy moved out of his family home to be with Alice, but this relationship was no different from his previous ones. 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. The incident received world wide press coverage, was the subject of a tv movie and a book. 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. Anyone heard any new info from people who were there? The Bowenkamps became the new objects of McElroys intimidation scheme. McElroy was in town and behaving belligerently. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Sorry! The shot violently ripped Romaine Henrys stomach opened, the right side of his body peeling away and laying across his lap. He spent the night in jail before posting bond, then sauntered menacingly back into the D&G tavern and pool hall and took his usual spot. This part is a rollercoaster. McElroy Williams. Make sure that the file is a photo. Ken Rex McElroy was not a nice man. However, he had gotten away with all of them. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. He had time to work his system and get what he wanted. When he found where Trena was staying he began relying on his old tactics of intimidation. Few residents seem to care. Hurt in a car wreck, or due to someone else's negligence? An outsider has taken to buying residences, and storing tremendous amounts of junk in the yards. Ken Rex made bail and was out within a day or so, and went looking for Trena. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. McElroy and Trena got up without saying a word, pushing their way through the crowd towards the exit. Despite two grand jury investigations, no one has been charged in the killing. Police said he had previously been charged with chicken theft, attempted Neither Baird nor MacLean, whose crime novel has been praised as an accurate account of McElroys killing, buy that. On July 10th, 1981 Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in the street in broad daylight infront of 60 witnesses. They left, but for McElroy, it wasnt over. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. So what was left?. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Debbie Ann McElroy I found on Findagrave.com. Despite his conviction, he was still the arrogant goon he had always been. Longstanding Grudges. That was the last straw, MacLean said. 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. 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. . Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Burial. When the shooting ended, McElroy was slumped over the steering wheel. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. The Bowenkamps, who were in their early seventies at the time, tried their best to carry on with life as normal. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. What happened in Skidmore that day wasnt much different than the completely predictable result from shaking a carbonated beverage until the top finally blows. At over six-feet tall and nearly 300 pounds he was a formidable presence by sight alone. He waved the gun around inside the tavern, proclaiming that he was going to finish off Bo Bowenkamp. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Ken Rex McElroy I found on Findagrave.com. The law had plenty of chances, plenty of times to lock him up., Added Monte: Justice failed everybody. . Family members linked to this person will appear here. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. 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. Ken Rex McElroy was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in St Joseph, Missouri. Estes, the sheriff some tried to implicate in a conspiracy, is dead. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. She was taken to a foster home in Maryville with the couples baby. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. While the meeting was going on, McElroy was back in the D&G Tavern drinking with Trena. 20 The Story of the trials, life and death of Ken Rex McElroy and the Town of Skidmore, Missouri. This is a collaborative project with FindMyPast.com. The townsfolk were infuriated. 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. 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. As well as the piece on McElroys son. The bank is closed; Moms cafe is closed; the grocery store where McElroy shot Bo over one of his kids swiping some candy is closed. They just went stone silent. After giving birth, Trena and Alice, exhausted from living in constant fear of McElroy, took their children and left the McElroy farm to live with Trenas parents. Much of his cash, however, went to Richard Gene McFadin, his lawyer. ''No,'' he said. Its probably accurate that few outside of McElroys family shed tears over his death, but many Skidmore residents still struggle with the spectacle of a man violently and publicly killed. Henry stopped the truck and Ken Rex approached the passenger side, the window rolled down, the barrel of the 12-gauge trained on Henry. 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. That it was a vigilante killing is not true for a lot of reasons; if they had decided to kill him, they wouldnt have stood in the street to watch the murder unfold, he said. . Learn more about managing a memorial . (SECOM) We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. There may never be an answer to the question of who killed Ken Rex McElroy. They killed. They were witnesses. It was so out of the blue, almost to the point of being surreal, said Monte, who occasionally worked in her parents store. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. It went beyond just hammering people and being mean-spirited. The next morning, people gathered once again, this time at the American Legion hall located across the street from the D&G Tavern. By the time the word came that Mr. McElroy was at the D & G Tavern, tempers were hotter. This account has been disabled. She then worked in the customer service department at Walmart and Target for several years. In the end, fear is what killed him, Goslee said. Blood covered the inside of the vehicle, as well as Trena, who was sitting in the passenger seat. 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. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She ended up dropping the charges. Her lawyer has said she did not want to speak with reporters. He would often be spotted hunting racoons and was notorious for rustling hogs and cattle in the small farming community. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. However, he lived only to experience the next chapter in the saga of being a victim of Ken Rex McElroy. Talked to a lady who grew up close to skidmore. McElroy was hardly a loving husband and regularly beat Sharon. On leaving school (and likely even before) McElroy began stealing items such as antiques, alcohol, grain and gasoline. She took her complaint to at-the-time Nodaway County Sheriff Roger Cronk. Adoption, paternity, divorce, or guardianship? It wasnt long before he became a violent menace, his more serious crimes including rape, assault and child molestation. His foot fell to the accelerator when he was shot, causing the engine to run at full bore. Trena McCloud went on to become Ken McElroys third wife (lifedaily.com). When you didnt know where he was, you didnt dare take the chance of not being on your guard.. Faces turn away at a strangers approach. This went on for months, thanks to his trial being subject to constant delays. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. That they had guns at the ready wasnt unusual. Place. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. 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. He got divorced and his drinking finally killed him. Not a one of 'em felt sorry for him. When Estes and state troopers arrived back in town, the streets were empty and quiet, save the rumbling, smoking engine of McElroys truck. Yes, that would make him Ken McElroys grandson. Ken was my grandfather derome was my father Im deromes oldest my mother is trace I wish I could of meet my grandfather An understandable wish. Im sure youve heard many good and bad things about him. Tony , I am your aunt Tina your dad is my brother . I havent seen you since you was about 2.