I understand that people may disagree. The case was in court but released as the victims could not identify the assailant due to it being dark. I dont see a valley road..maybe it was renamed? Can I get in touch with you at your email? I think one of the rifles used in McElroys shooting was a Winchester 94 (or Marlin 336) chambered in 32 Winchester Special. By the way, In Broad Daylight goes up as a Kindle on Tuesday. I think youd do it justice. Getting Away With Murder State troopers finally arrived in Skidmore, to find that the streets were deserted. 60 Minutes - Bully - Ken McElroy & Skidmore Missouri (1982)Ken Rex McElroy (June 1, 1934 - July 10, 1981) was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri, United States. I just ordered the new edition from Amazon and it is on the way. 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? What did you think of the frontier justice piece? He told me when he had finished the book that he had met McElroy in Marshall MO at a cattle sale in 1979 or 80 and that Ken was selling cattle at $.50 on the dollar in the parking lot. 1) There was nothing Alpha about Ken or you,look what happened to Ken. In this case, Ken pushed an entire town to their breaking point. They were stationed on Skidmore's major. Yes it was Clements bullet who killed 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 can promise you youd not roll over me. Del Clement died suddenly of a massive coronary event in January of 2009. Who was the the second alleged shooter? This man was a domestic terrorist whose actions were deadly to anyone and everyone that crossed him. If anything, our legal system became his enabler. Or in his wifes purse? i dont know ? There has been no prosecution in the death of Ken Rex McElroy. You say Ken was a real man. The obituary mentioned that he had lived in Skidmore, MO, but nothing at all about the event for which we are reading this material. I find it fascinating. I see the obit photo for the second alleged shooter. I just came across Harrys description of the location of the McElroy house. I never considered the gunmen as cowards. Del was a weasel. The people in Skidmore were by and large very hostile to her. and im not affraid to say yes del was the main shooter. Just purchased The Story Behind . The real question is: What would drive an entire town, filled with good people, to this desperate act? ken rex mcelroy should have been dealt with by the law -instead the people took care of it , mcelroy will haunt skidmore for years to come. Two additional questions Harry, I have heard that the post office in Skidmore has been closed and the high school was also closed and tore down. A year or so after the book was published, I met one of Kens kids who had been adopted out as a child. Its CIRRHOSIS of the liver NOT sclerosis of the liver. if i was a true crime writer this is a story i wouldve liked to write. And here we are in 2021 & some insist the shooter of Ken was a coward. This story, and the book, will far outlive me, and anyone else alive today, Ive come to believe. Nothing will ever happen because everyone hated him and the towns people would say the shooters were not there to the law anyways. Burnt their parents homes too. That sounds like a threat at the end of your comment. I would love to read your writings about this town and man! Deputy was there talking to my dad as he was stealing it. The two story house was boarded up and the dogs / cages / pick ups were gone not long after the killing. 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. He told me Ken had a presence but that he wasnt scared or intimidated by him. Shot in back or front makes no difference. However, in his book, former professional Harley Race (who is from Quitman, MO) says that he had a confrontation with McElroy. I look forward to receiving it. He did whatever he wanted, often in front of witness, and through a combination of great legal representation and intimidation, McElroy was only convicted once. I would be very interested to find out your source of information. Does Gary D. , who seems to be a candidate as the second gunman, still live in the Skidmore area? Thats how Ken McElroy felt. My house on Safari Drive backed up to the cemetery where McElroy is now buried. It is very obvious the whole thing was planned. As for how he died, if you will submit the autopsy report confirming the massive heart attack, I will correct the record. After Sally had had three kids, Ken kicks her out of the house. She was always a heavy smoker, and I heard that it was from lung cancer, although I dont knwo for sure. Just saying. In Broad Daylight is the name of the book, and there is a follow up called The Story Behind In Broad Daylight. He was a boaster and a bully, but he carried through on just enough of his threats to scare the hell out of people. Memorials are suggested to the Maryville Elks Lodge #760, Maryville, MO. There might be some truth to it, but, frankly, most of the people I knew were scared to death of the man and wouldnt have done anything to draw attention to themselves. She was convinced the townspeople were still bent on killing her as well. Compelling read. Is it out of respect for the familiy. For online condolences and guest book, visit http://www.bramfuneralhome.com. Not that it really matters, I suppose. Tina, Teresa and Tammy. You dont like it? Following driving instructions laid out in the book I attempted to find the McElroy farm. I believe that Ken McLeroy got what he deserved. but he new not to cross paths with my father and i in a bad way. I doubt he really was afraid for his life. 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). The worst by this individual was still to come for this town and they knew it. he was wrong for scarring folks. I really have no quarrel with what happened to McELroy. i read that TRENA CLAIMED 2 have known who 1 of the shooters were WHO WAS IT SHE NAMED ? wow- denehey played the part like no one could have & spooky of the real life resemblence of denehey to mcelroy-literally gave me shivers. It shows a mentality very close to Dels. Are there any other in print material available that you would recommend? they showed her some mercy by letting her walk away.it was ken who they wanted to get rid of, he pushed them just a little too far & it cost him his life. Waving a shotgun around and shooting old unarmed men doesnt make him look so brave to me. He leaves Sharon to move in with Alice. Probably sobut I also think it might have been mitigated to manslaughter or justifiable homicide. I know there were plans to combine school districts, but Im not sure if that;s happened. I dont understand why Trena would stand up for a man who had raped her, beat her, and burned down her own parents house? He read the book and realized that he and his sister were the children of Ken and Sharon. He always said Seemed like they made up a few facts as they went along. Id like to get the reaction of other readers. The rifle was probably mis-identified by witnesses (perhaps on purpose) as a 30-30. The only thing you can say for sure is that law enforcement in that part of the country was as worthless as t*ts on a boar! He was drunk and became outright hostile to me. In 1981, I dont know if anyone (states) had terroristic threatening laws on their books and if they did, I never heard of anyone using them. Skidmore is just one of many victims of small town plight. You should go to Piedmont Alabama and research the Ronnie Chandler story. I should have stated that years ago I was introduced to one of the alleged gunmen. scared to death of the dude . its almost like you were their . Del Clement died without a word about who shot Ken McElroy. I watched the TV Movie In Broad Daylight, Iast night. Too bad. I suspect there are hundreds more out there. i remember looking into the mirror & he was still standing in front of the store watching us as we went out of sight. At the time, McElroy was still married to his third wife, Alice Woods. They are all over. Gary N. Dowling I hear more and more stories as time goes on. I hope thats not true, but it wouldnt surprise me if it was. 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. I read the book, the epilogue, and the Making of(thanks Kindle store!). Harry, I enjoyed In Broad Daylight immensely. I was there a few years ago, and the bar was open, but I wouldnt be surprised if it was closed now, or maybe just open for parties. At least some of the witnesses surely knew. If you have, would you recommend it and/or share your thoughts? The plans are set, I am going back the weekend of the 5th. Small minded backwards,2 pack a day hillbillies like yourself are very easy to deal with so I will break down your 4 points real quick. No. I would appreciate if you would please address a couple of questions. Second. All the towns mentioned were familiar to me. Whether the people that shot him are cowards or NOT, they simply did what the SYSTEM would NOT DO. The guy was obviously a bad, mean, thief, rapist , and bully. if thats true she rode shotgun for ken near the end , shE was real lucky somebody didnt put a bullet in the back of her head too, so the townspeople cut the head off the snake , so to speak & killed ken. Interesting take on Ken and the town. I dont remember any stories about him harassing the Clements in the book. I was good friends with the town Marshall, David Dunbar. I worked with a guy in the 80s that said he had met Ken a couple at times and that he come across as a real a-hole. The big blow was when Wal-Mart opened in Maryville.The story of so many small towns in America. Chris: We just published an e-book entitled The Story Behind In Broad Daylight. Available on Amazon. She related that while McElroy had his problems he was also being harassed. That said, I dont think youve ever lived a day where you had to risk your life for anything and as such, I dont think youre in any position to call another person a coward. There are more facts, but Id have to dig into my research for them. & those who witnessed the crime are accessories to murder- plain & simple skidmore will always have mcelroys ghost hanging over the town. McElroy moved out of his family home to be with Alice, but this relationship was no different from his previous ones. Im pleased that your grandfather and you liked the book so much. I hope you feel superior. Skidmores best days are behind it, sad to say, unless Cheryl Brown decides to get involved again. err sorry my grammars for crap) what he had done might be exactly that way. I assume that the Goslee is the same gentleman who you stayed with while you were researching the book. Whether in the back of the head, between the eyes or in the heart, dead is dead. A few years after the book came out, I encountered Del one evening in a bar in nearby Maryville. SOMETIMES I WONDER IF OL KEN IS IN HELL IHE MADE LIFE MISERABLE FOR EVERYBODY IN SKIDMORE . As Juarez left the court room, the news item specifically mentioned he was smiling. After selling his farm, he worked at Energizer in Maryville, MO, for several years. (two increments noted in his description). Thanks for taking the time to share our thoughts. yeah thats exactely how it happened , it wasnt planned . I used to trade rides to NWMSU with one of McElroys relatives. Especially while drinking in the presence of overly curious people. It tells in some detail the process of writing and researching the book, particularly the difficulty when the town was closed up around the killers. he was seriously evil. She is a person of great personal integrity and not prone to exaggeration or gossip. Eventually sitting on a sidewalk across the street from what was the D&B. I knew he was gone from work the same day as Kens funeral but didnt put anything together. I remember him saying he didnt want to talk to you anymore and you would quiteasking questions. Ken had been ruining business in town. Obituaries I read it when it was first published. Just saying. In this day and age we would have a ream of cell phone photos of the funeral, which I would definitely have run. If the guns were ever matched to the participants would the 22 owner be the only one charged with murder? i never took no oath to nothing. And for a WHOLE town to stay silent since 1981 is astonishing..I lived in St. Louis at the time and remember all the media stories on it. I will obviously drive through the town, and more than likely take some pictures along the way, and of course stop by the bar, if it is open. Cmon people use your head. Rest in Peace Ken Rex, you were all good in my book! My grandfather loved this book, I believe, because he had heard stories about McElroy through various coffee shops and cafes. Yes, Bo died before the book was published. Ken Rex was an alpha male, much like myself. Rolling Stone and Playboy both did long, overblown pieces on the story. . 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. As we If an eyewitness had turned in the killers in, it would have been a spectacular trial, likely ending in an acquittal. The scum-bag lawyer and family members were genuinely angry that the killers had not been brought to justice. Can you talk a bit more about the series? a) Ken moved out of his family home so he could be with Alice. i passed through skidmore last summer & talked to a few old timers who were around back in the early 80s when kenny was roaming the streets .had a nice conversation until you bring up mc elroys name .they all turn a pale white & ghastly & then u smell an odor its only then that u realize they shit all over themselves .. ken rex mc elroy still brings fear to skidmore old timers , they HATED THAT MAN. thanks-nicole. These are good people who did what they had to to remedy a nightmare. You care for the sheep but hate the sheepdog. His brother, however, still lives in the Skimore area/. t was Mr Sumy. He waited, like a coward, until the people I was with left the bar, and then came up to me and started doing his drunken short man routine, which everyone in the area is quite familiar with. I know how hard it is for loved ones to take an honest look at a member of their family. McElroy was soon infatuated with his future child bride. My mother-in-law was a McElroy. Kenny boy didnt seem to have a problem threatening anybody old or smaller than him. Del Clement, in my view, was also a coward. The classic print edition is now available at: http://tiny.cc/KeepsakeEdition And their is there. Ken would had sooner or later murdered. I hadnt heard the one about him selling cattle in the parking lot. Hell, at my age, JFK has always been the guy who got his head blown off in Dallas, if youll forgive me for being blunt. Trena McElroy was sitting next to her husband, Ken Rex, in his Chevy Silverado when rifle shots shattered the rear window and exploded her husbands head onto the dashboard. He was a man with a black soul and got exactly what he deserved. He made me think he was McElroy. Pausing to milk it a little too long. Her parents abandoned her to his clutches. as the old saying goes .. as you live by the sword , you will die by the sword McElroy lived life as a bully & he died a bully . Del Clement died of liver disease this last spring. 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. Screw the law and the rest of you people who have no back bone to do anything about it. so, so, sad. These small man syndrome types are quick to jump on the bandwagon and try to out do everyone by being first to the punch due to their own perceived difficiencies. Unless I missed something, I do not see anyone being connected with that gun, the one that shot the fatal bullet. A whole new book could start here. Write a new book become current find similarities that parallel life but quit riding the wind out of this. Again, GREAT BOOK!! Im curious why you felt No One Saw A Thing was junk. Trena sad she saw him clear as day, what more do you need? But there was. Didnt want to put it down!! She owed her new life to the town is an interesting idea and one I hadnt thought of. Us bad ass, rebel, alpha male types give the rest of you pansies something to look up to. I was a witness , not a shooter . The only hope for solving the crime seemed to be that one of the witnesses, or maybe one of the killers, would confess on his deathbed in order to clear his conscience. ive had nightmares ever since that day off & on . if they wanted to kill her , they would have just shot her along with ken,THEY LET HER LIVE. I do not see that you wrote of this in your comments. who knows harry might be another award winning edgar prize book in it for you. The govt built a new post office on the east end of town. Well then grow a pair and do something about it. on the SKIDMORE TOPIS PAGE someone put a post on their something about a photograph a man had taken that morning , he was at the gas station caddy corner & saw something going down , pulled out a camera & snapped off a few shots & threw camera back in car . 60 Minutes covers the killing of Ken Rex McElroy. Me and my 2 sisters decided to check it out as it was less than 2 hours from where we live. I watched a YouTube video of you, the lawyer and family members on the talk show. Most things are closed down. They probably had bad dreams over it and Ken Rex won because he still haunts them and the town of Skidmore. If I were ever accused of a crime then found not guilty, Im reasonably confident that Id be smiling ear to ear & might even do a happy dance! I remember as a kid Ken stealing grain in middle of night from our grain bin. None of those last two incidents is surprising. You are full of shit. Over and out. He died of electricution when he made contact with a high voltage line while stepping out of the car. Mr. MaClean, excellent book!!! Its hard to live with a secret , a sin like that. My first encounter with the Skidmore story began when I first saw the TV episode of City Confidential some years ago. so , ill just stay where I am outside of kc . I never verified any of these facts, but I really didnt spend a lot of time trying either. The entire show was strung together to prove some hypothesis the director/producers had before stepping foot in the town. It was a crime of opportunity he was having some beers and hearing stories about Rex over the years. I also understand that he lost his job as an auctioneer in St. Joe because of this problem. Thanks for writing. Who else would shoot a man in the back of the head as he sat in his truck? And his ex wife Sharon is also a very kind woman. Is there any information on his children? Denehey was so good on the set, walking around with a shotgun in his arm, that people stayed away from him. When I first traveled to Skidmore in 1982, the first name I heard as the shooter was Del Clement. One of these women was 24-year-old. Why wasnt the surrounding area taped off and secured by law enforcement for the investigation? Ken was the coward & the bully. Pushed in a CORNER people will ACT, coward or NOT. Shooting him was a justified act of self-defense for everyone. In an earlier post you stated Del Clement, in my view, was also a coward. This makes it EASY for Thugs to dispose of peoples property out of state. The other weapon was a .22 mag, but was it identified as a rifle as well? Tonight I rooted for the New England Patriots to beat the Chiefs! We drove back home talking about other things like life and baseball. Ask yourself: who smiles instantly after beating the criminal rap in court? 4. I noticed earlier today while doing some reading that both Q. Goslee and Lois BowenKamp have passed away. Over time lawlessness usually kills a community whether it is Rural or Urban. 1964: Ken meets another girlfriend named Alice Wood. Meanwhile, the town struggles for its existence. My question is: Is there any interviews or documentation regarding Trenas opinions on McElroy as she got older and remarried? AND the pedophile I will add, yet again. 2. del was a coward and a asshole hope he burns in hell for what he did. One night, he came by completely distressed because KRM had cornered him in an alley and threatened him not to testify. Does this not imply a certain degree of courage? I think anyone who has been on the receiving end of a bullys wrath or the injustices of the legal system to deal with criminals can put themselves in the plight of the towns people of Skidmore. Thoughts? And you need to learn how to spell: strait is straight. 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. He had no social security number and never filed a tax return. As for his role in the killing, there was never any doubt expressed to me by law enforcement or anyone else in the area that Del was the primary shooter. Are you a friend or relative of Ken McElroys? The masonic building is gone, as best as I can tell. I have watched the show about it and each time I have seen it, I myself have been frustrated at the situation and I didnt even live there. He always denied any role in the killing. AND INTO ADULTHOOD. Gary was born near Maryville, MO, on May 1, 1939, to Eugene and Mildred (Ulmer) Dowling. Ghost town, for sure. Harry MacLean. How old are you, 12? Would love to know what has happened to Kens women & children, as well as the major people associated with this story. Honestly, the story he told me about this man sounded so far-fetched. I think when the last person involved in KRMcs killing dies, then the truth will be told. They made him move. You can use the computer to measure the distance by right clicking and using measure distance from point to point. Dont kid yourselfthere are no tough guys left after one minute in hell. Thanks again for your time and have to admit I am fast becoming a Skidmore junkie. speculation will never be useful or needed. I was 10 years old and saw the whole thing. Whether it was in the heat of the moment or putting him down like a mad dog, I cannot say. Looked at your bio. Someone who was loved. no one in their right mind ever believe someone like mcelroy would just keep getting away with things. I hope Skidmore survives, its had a tragic history and deserves a break. If this process is circumvented, it becomes more difficult (to establish these constraints) with each passing year. 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. if a town can have ptsd then Skidmore has lived it for these many decades. Thus, the debris pile I see is on the south side of the road just before the second turn at the corner at mile 2, and then on the west side of that same road after it turns southbound. One problem solved, but obviously from the tremendous amount of crime in that county, not the ONLY problem. And I wouldnt have said a word about who did it myself. Harrys book says there was a smaller house on the property, too, where the younger brother Tim lived after the killing. If I may ask, just suppose for a moment you were able to speak with him. Standing at his truck, watching McElroy sit calmly in this truck with his wife, as if he owned the street, the twon, someone shouted Shoot the sonofabithch! and he grabbed his rifle. I am sure that CC was not meaning a threat, I do not know who CC is but I thank him for standing up for Del, when Del has passed from this life. I just finished the book Judgement Day and although not as detailed as yours I also enjoyed it. Over the course of his life, McElroy was accused of dozens of felonies, including assault, child molestation, statutory rape, arson . 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. I know you have a lot of loyalty to the town, but how do you balance that with the law? . Were the cops afraid of him? I went to high school with his 3 daughters (from Sharon). 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. During the time that I worked with her they had reconciled and were going to get married again. Over the years I spent there researching In Broad Daylight I never heard another name seriously mentioned as the rifleman. .. People would leave when they heard McElroy was in town. 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. Trena only witnessed Clement with a rifle. Just after the killing two of the. Thanks for the comment and the complement. BB, mr. maclean, i was just wondering what did the people of skidmore think about trena. I keep going back to the though of if he knew it was the end for him. maybee its time for facts and proof to come out now. What good is it to wake up in hell? His problems, but who dont? This was not a planned shooting so the idea was to shoot quick and avoid as many witnesses as possible. Quick hits for stories like this are a joke. Your characterization of the man who seems to have shot him as a coward is interesting. Thanks for your update on Skidmore. I was through there last fall bird hutning and it sure seemed as though there was nothing left. Where I live we have had a NON Stop Crime Waive since 1971. I think, though I do not have any data, this is not my field but in Urban areas of high crime it is very common for people to be killed and nobody sees a thing. I understand you are a tall man, so relatively he would be shorter than you, but he was not a short man with a chip on his shoulder. a man who left a legacy of terror & hatred. I cant seem to find much information on the Internet. He did not die in the spring, he did not die slowly. You can also find the movie by the same name on You Tube. I think he was trying a stare down and lost. I believe there was a third gun, but whether it fired or not is another question. Hell, he might have actually been loving the anger he was generating. 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. After all look at the thug #45, Your email address will not be published. McElroy was a rabid dog that needed to be destroyed, whether shot between the eyes or in the back of the head. you see i was in skidmore in early 1981 , me & my girlfreind were in the general/grocery store owned as i later came to know as the bowencamps we were passing through & went in the store ,mcelroy was in the store & he was looking my gf up & down & even said something to her which i didnt hear . Where can one read your interview with Trena when she no longer defended Ken Rex ? Well then it appears Ken Rex was done in by a fellow coward. A mean drunk if you could not defend yourself a backpedalling coward if you could. Werent there a couple of men who were offered a lot of money to blow him away? I used to visit a town (Ransom, Illinois) which is very similar in size and population and it is experiencing a similar decline which I believe is more due to economics and changing times than anything else. McElroy's third wife, Trena McCloud, met Ken when he began dating her mother while she was 12. As far as the short man comments, that just seems like frat-boy rhetoric, not something a mature man, who writes for a living should use as a defense. I only feel for the town. The man Im thinking of, one time, was merely asked by the Los Angeles Police to move his double parked 18 wheeler. Its what someone says, not how they say it. Bullets for the 32 W.S. Shot a man in the stomach with a shot gun! I admire the town for keeping their mouths shut, and the people who took up arms and took care of business. Yesterday I came across an obituary of Trooper Richard Stratton, may he rest in peace. those involved who took the oath to keep silent will take it to the grave with them. and yes he kept harassing the clements and you are right. so if your ever passing through skidmore -remember , those people got away with murder, you could be in town talking to someone, passing someone on the street & they could hve been the shooter or a witness to the crime. The people that shot Ken Rex were cowards. Wow, thats a lot of questions. Actually, I think Del Clements act was totally impulsive. I dont believe my grandfather would have and thats why it bothered him so much. Harry, I love this book for more than the story itself,which is amazing. I never saw a time when he was anything but pleasant to be around.
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