speculation will never be useful or needed. its to bad he died the way he did . I cant seem to find much information on the Internet. Skidmore, Part Three - The Murder of Ken Rex McElroy That County has a long history of bullies and criminals. And I dont have a good opinion of them. And you need to learn how to spell: strait is straight. a man who left a legacy of terror & hatred. Was McElroy harassing him or something? ive had nightmares ever since that day off & on . 60 Minutes covers the killing of Ken Rex McElroy. If Clement was one of the gunment, he was just protecting his neighbors. i wonder if the gentleman was mentally ill ? As for the guy threatening you, he literally wrote like everyone else in his level of life. One problem solved, but obviously from the tremendous amount of crime in that county, not the ONLY problem. Im sure the shooting came up after a few beers, it would be a hard thing to live with. Second. I never met or knew Del Clement so I cant comment on him. They made him move. One night, he came by completely distressed because KRM had cornered him in an alley and threatened him not to testify. In 2002 I convinced him to take a road trip with me for the day and headed to Skidmore. I read the shell casings found in the street were from a .22 mag and a 8 mm German or Swedish Mauser. No One Saw A Thing centers around the 1981 murder of Ken Rex McElroy in Skidmore Missouri and other crimes committed in the town and surrounding area over the years. reno lives in langeloth pa washington county. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) PURCHASE A LICENSE Standard editorial rights Custom rights How can I use this image? He was constantly committing crimes and threatening the townspeople. But, I also believe so much evidence was either contaminated by bystanders or simply was taken away. You are all over the place. He and his brother owned the D & G Tavern, in front of which McElroy was parked when he died and which had recently begun closing whenever he came to town. I was quickly sent in the house. You can use the computer to measure the distance by right clicking and using measure distance from point to point. Years ago I met one of the gunmen, he was a polite gentleman. And I wouldnt have said a word about who did it myself. Is there anyway you could confirm this for me? The guy was obviously a bad, mean, thief, rapist , and bully. If people dont want to hear or read about this story, then dont come hear. a) Ken moved out of his family home so he could be with Alice. Honestly, the story he told me about this man sounded so far-fetched. 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). This man was a domestic terrorist whose actions were deadly to anyone and everyone that crossed him. It seems more sensational in a Rural Setting. I search the internet and couldnt find a link to them. 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. Del Clement died without a word about who shot Ken McElroy. From the beginning of his life, on June 1, 1934, Ken Rex McElroy seemed destined for a trouble and cruelty. But all I need is an address and I would gladly show up unarmed.pussy. Its easy to sit in judgment of these people when youre not the one who has to live in constant fear of this evil bastd. I was 10 years old and saw the whole thing. Del Clement, in my view, was also a coward. Things got repeated and repeated until he became almost larger than life. I really have no quarrel with what happened to McELroy. I would say that the shotgun was the first thing fired then shots rang from the other 2 guns, one being fired instantly after the shotgun blast which took out the window. The raging celebrations in all the bars around ..was to me I am not sure if he was the same Mr Sumy in the book. If it was spontaneous there would have been at least one person who wouldnt have known to keep their mouth shut. Also, Im kind of curious about how this event affected other people and america. So Ken had. Was Ken armed at the time that he was killed? As Juarez left the court room, the news item specifically mentioned he was smiling. The good people there, many of them are defenseless against these thugs. He ended up having six children and many grandchildren. Jones Memorial Chapel, 703 N.. They understood she had been in essence captured by McElroy as a young girl, but by the end she was riding shotgun for him and pulling weapons on people and threatening to shoot them. He was a boaster and a bully, but he carried through on just enough of his threats to scare the hell out of people. Are there any Pics of the Aftermath.. Morgue pics of the Body? I only feel for the town. 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. Kenny boy didnt seem to have a problem threatening anybody old or smaller than him. My spatial sense is not the best. A mean drunk if you could not defend yourself a backpedalling coward if you could. Most things are closed down. If you can find them, Oprah did a full show on the book, as did Larry King. 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. Surfacing briefly from her hiding place where she had sought refuge for herself and her children, Mrs. McElroy granted an interview to talk about the Kenneth Rex McElroy murder in Skidmore, MO. You are a very gifted writer and I look forward to reading your other works. t was Mr Sumy. I never considered the gunmen as cowards. The law had utterly failed to protect Skidmore or the surrounding communities. What is also fascinating to me is how McElroy was able to defy the men who were actually hired to kill him. He pointed out all the untrue facts in the booksuch as that he was shortand seemed on the verge of throwing a punch, until a friend stepped in. In the book, I tried to present the towns side of the killing and to question those who said it is always wrong to take a life outside of the law. I think he probably knew it was the end for him, and I think he might have welcome it, at some level. I would love to read your writings about this town and man! On July 10, 1981, on a hot summer morning in a fed-up town, he. Did Baer ever provide you any additional details that would have changes your conclusions? a small town terrorized by one man.a town stricken with fear, a town that kept asking for help & didnt get it. Would love to see the picture you have. Once the grocery store goes, then goes the bank, and the gas station, and theres little left. I look forward to getting your new POD paperback. The irony of this entire story is too rich to ignore. My mother-in-law was a McElroy. The man Im thinking of, one time, was merely asked by the Los Angeles Police to move his double parked 18 wheeler. Anyways, it says this guy shot a 70yo inthe neck? i just got back to the states this year was in italy taking care of a family member for some time. So why was there NO bullet recovered and inspected? As the old proverb says; Desperate times call for desperate measures.. The big blow was when Wal-Mart opened in Maryville.The story of so many small towns in America. 3. In the movie they show the 1st person grabbing what could be a .22 or 22 mag, 2nd person grabs a 30-30 and the 3 person grabs a shotgun from the trunk of a car. Thanks for taking the time to share our thoughts. I read one of the posts saying, if this had gone to trial, they [shooters] would have been acquitted. His second wife, Alice Wood. 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. Im sure his wife at one time loved him, although I understand she divorced him because of his uncontrollable drinking. He wasent killed by a skidmore resident! Just after the killing two of the. I can not put into words how painful it is to read these untruths on the internet. What are your thoughts on this? if they wanted to kill her , they would have just shot her along with ken,THEY LET HER LIVE. When I was on the Larry King Show, he was very sympathetic during the show, and when it was over he muttered to me, I dont think its every all right to take another persons life, or something to that effect. The town did what needed to be done.. I mean, I guess we all dont want to think our family members could do that. Im so glad I had nothing to do with it. I had law officers tell me that the word was out among the cops that if you found McELroy out on the roads at night along and with a gun you should shoot him. Was anyone from Law Enforcement in that area ever disciplined or fired for their utter failure in protecting the people of the area from this piece of trash? Ken McElroy was a functional illiterate. The man who told me this said they all had the backbone of a jellyfish and nobody in town had the guts to have a gun duel with McElroy. I would love to find someone in the area who would describe this drunken short man routine you speak of. Or in his wifes purse? 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. Ive read these posts and seems you have taken inventory of the participants but given the protagonist a bit more recognition. If the guns were ever matched to the participants would the 22 owner be the only one charged with murder? If I had been there, I would have been under the pool table with the rest of the town. Was he mentally disturbed? I couldnt help getting the willies. I thing Mcelroys spirit does haunt the place. Although I have my own personal opinions on this, I really did not want to cause anyone trouble. He ( the shooter) brought peace & saved the lives of many. Who else would shoot a man in the back of the head as he sat in his truck? I have pictures of that mess as well. Your take on him is a common one, although he has his defenders. That sounds like a threat at the end of your comment. I understand you need to sell books but if it humbles you, I learned about this out of a true crime and and aberrant behavior book so your book is well versed but not hardly the only source. All ten cops. BB, mr. maclean, i was just wondering what did the people of skidmore think about trena. 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. I would have to drive it to be sure, but it sounds like it. 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. I know you have a lot of loyalty to the town, but how do you balance that with the law? Skidmores best days are behind it, sad to say, unless Cheryl Brown decides to get involved again. On the face of it I have no problems with McElroy having been ended. he was seriously evil. Thanks again for sharing you trip there with us. Even an expert at anything past reading distance would not be able to tell the difference between the two. I have a first issue hard copy that was my grandfathers and he left to me after his passing in 2006. 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. When the law refused to deal with him and people feared for their lives they did what they thought they had to do to survive. We have gotten NO RELIEF from Law Enforcement whatsoever. Stole what did not belong to him. Again, awesome book!! The real question is: What would drive an entire town, filled with good people, to this desperate act? McElroy had been indicted a total of 21 times for crimes such as: child molestation, arson, cattle rustling, and stealing. Timeline | McElroy I think David Baird believed that the sheriff had the files when he offered to open them to me. Valley Road was renamed after 9/11, as a county road, the number of which escapes me at the moment. 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. It didnt have to end like this if the law did their job. Is there any information on his children? it was truly scary , I seen McElroy back in early 81 . I remember Ken well. (May 1, 1939 June 9, 2014). maybee its time for facts and proof to come out now. I spent 8 years in the Marines. maybe they should have the gun that killed mcelroy in a museuem or something, maybe they can build a museueum there celebrating the murder . A misanthrope that even treated his dogs, that he apparently loved, badly. What accounts for the discrepancy? After selling his farm, he worked at Energizer in Maryville, MO, for several years. Skidmore is just one of many victims of small town plight. The story would have gone on forever, regardless. dude eventually got arrested & while in police custody he hung himself. I had planned to get back there this past summer, but didnt make it. I dont believe my grandfather would have and thats why it bothered him so much. what a fascinating story. Just a note of interest. Been in some trouble. They did not deserve any of this. If an eyewitness had turned in the killers in, it would have been a spectacular trial, likely ending in an acquittal. Ask yourself: who smiles instantly after beating the criminal rap in court? (I seem to recall he wasnt quite right) I understand one weapon used that day was an 8mm. Im back and have a few pictues that I will post to my site once I have gone through them all. I dont agree with calling him a coward, at least not for the shooting. Is this not what happened with McElroy? 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. She swore to the law and three grand juries that the man on the 30.30 was Del Clement, a member of a prominent ranching family. I would appreciate if you would please address a couple of questions. This normally occurs when we are children, from our parents. just wondering how the locals felt about her also. I wont speculate as to who it was you met. I currently live in Springfield, Missouri, and may just have to take a trip to Trenas grave site in Conway. i seriously doubt the town would have done better then its current state, its a very small village in the middle of nowhere. The bullet must have been mis-identified as an 8 mm bullet; just 2 thousands of an inch different. However, he had gotten away with all of them. Further on, not too far, is the lot where Kens house once stood. skidmore is a town that MURDERED A MAN & got away with it. You dont like it? I dont remember any stories about him harassing the Clements in the book. I would not write anything else about Del if I were you. del was a coward and a asshole hope he burns in hell for what he did. Kenrex and Trina stood up said good to see you.. Take care. Im curious why you felt No One Saw A Thing was junk. Id me interested in your thoughts and facts. I have been a marine and completed 2 tours of duty and travel armed at all times with a crew, so I highly doubt you are going to kick my ass these are just facts, besides the fact that this is just a message board on the internet and I cant be bothered to get into a childish flaming war with some old dude who was tormented by either Ken Rex, my comments, or both. off of RT. Last i heard she was in Columbia. After all look at the thug #45, Your email address will not be published. Someone who was loved. I read on your blog a granddaughter said she was happily remarried and had a nice life which is great. If I had a dime, no make that a nickel, for every time someone said they were going to kick my ass I would be richer then I am now from all the robbin and stealin lol. He didnt deserve any better. the whole story about skidmore is sad & shameful, from what he did & the murder by the towns people . i wonder what wouldve happened if some of the guys in town reached out to him , talk to him , have a beer be pals . A World War II survivor, she continued to work. Harry do you think McElroy would have been proud to have a movie made about him and played by none other than the ultimate bad-guy actor Brian Dennehy? Since neither did their jobs, well, this is what happens. and yes he kept harassing the clements and you are right. It was a crime of opportunity he was having some beers and hearing stories about Rex over the years. Sounds to me like Del Clement was a hero. . What they were afraid of was prosecution. I agree with you that we need to be careful about judging the town of Skidmore. Not to mention that Del was of average height. 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. R.I.P Kenrex. Del and my grandpa has hauled cattle together. My grandfather loved this book, I believe, because he had heard stories about McElroy through various coffee shops and cafes. they didnt even plan on what they did after. Too bad. Ken had been ruining business in town. Thanks for the comment and the complement. McElroy should have been taken care of by law enforcement officers and the courts. enough was enough, McElroy had pushed his last button & lit the fuse that led to his death , he sat their , just like in the movie calmly & looked in his mirror to see the crowd behind him , he knew I believed that it was the end for him & that he was about to die , no way in hell was that crowd letting him leave. And the girl killed for her baby, and the branson boy. Has anyone ever actually physically tried to fight mcelroy? Maybe a reenactment of the shooting would put Skidmore back on the map. Little more than a manipulative bully, who exploited weaknesses in our legal system. I look forward to receiving it. I agree that Ken McElroy haunts the town, and always will. 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. And his ex wife Sharon is also a very kind woman. Del did not die the way you described. But I cant help but notice that this comment thread is over two years old and still running, on a 25 year old book. we all talked & took a vow of silence , NO MATTER WHAT to our death bed. 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 . Bullets for the 32 W.S. Shes still alive and well living in Helena mo. I would really love to find out what happened to all of his children, and women, as well as if you or the authorities have any new leads to speak of. I spent three years in Skidmore, and all I ever heard was that Clement was a mean drunk and had a bad temper. He was not looking forward to going to prison for a couple of years, and his best days as a coon hunter and seducer of girls were long behind him. It was David Henry, Romaines son. They probably had bad dreams over it and Ken Rex won because he still haunts them and the town of Skidmore. On my first day of teaching, a little hand went up in the back of the class and this sweet boy said, Youre uncle shot my dad. I know how hard it is for loved ones to take an honest look at a member of their family. The person I met was a prominent person in the town. At the time, McElroy was still married to his third wife, Alice Woods. I suspect there are hundreds more out there. Sitting just the next table in front of Kenrex and Trina..we were told by the owner that you need I will post a link once I have all the pictures posted. Ken Rex McElroy was a bully to put it mildly. She just finished installing a new wood burning stove on Friday. The other weapon was a .22 mag, but was it identified as a rifle as well? I gentleman said he used to own it. Should i not expect that the legislative and judicial branches would then come to my defense? Werent there a couple of men who were offered a lot of money to blow him away? The witch might be dead.. and you should just go your way. Im not looking to cause a row, but my quandary is this; What should a person do when the system has failed them? The Story Of Ken McElroy, The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town the dirty little coward who shot Mr. Howard) as opposed to the denotation; a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc. Rex said fuck you your dead as he walked to his truck he said its no even loaded but wont be for long. Those people TRIED to get some relief, they were ignored. 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. For decades, the man held the town of Skidmore virtually hostage. As a child he was abused by alot of them.ridiculed..cut down. He had it coming & it came! They were the nicest people and in no way reflected their father. In syrafoam boxes and put it on dads tab to pay later. I already found a news item where one of his sons (Juarez) had been arrested at age 26 for knifing a man. He had no respect for the law or those who enforced it. Sheriff Estes certainly would have had a reason to dispose of them, wouldnt he? I know how people get frustrated and i realize how this happened with mcelroy!