Bully - Ken McElroy (1982) - YouTube He was most certainly not. It has made a pauper out of me. del was a coward and a asshole hope he burns in hell for what he did. you never know. BB, mr. maclean, i was just wondering what did the people of skidmore think about trena. I never considered the gunmen as cowards. No. But you wouldnt know anything about that. Im not condoning vigilante justice, but shouldnt i have a reasonable expectation of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? My first question is have you ever heard the name jay law mentioned if so what was said. I hope Skidmore survives, its had a tragic history and deserves a break. Let sleeping dogs lay in this tragedy. No testing of weapons was performed,as far as I am aware. Innocent people dont they give a sigh of relief. scared to death of the dude . I believe they had a little boy. Made me do a bit of searching on my own recently. There are always many sides to a person. He abused Alice verbally and physically, and when she gave birth to their son, she moved out to live with her mother and stepfather In St Joseph, the next town over from Skidmore. I would like to know what happened to her family. What McElroy would say about his portrayal in the book is another subject, and one which I would hesitate to hazard a guess on. If I may ask, just suppose for a moment you were able to speak with him. Yea he stole hogs, but no ones perfect. The gas station across from Sumys is falling down, the roof has caved in. I will read your soon and am looking forward to it. 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. i wonder what wouldve happened if some of the guys in town reached out to him , talk to him , have a beer be pals . There were a few. Im especially interested in the troubles his kids caused once they moved out of Skidmore. During the time that I worked with her they had reconciled and were going to get married again. He didnt deserve any better. As I said, my feelings and comments are not for everyone, and obviously you have taken offense to them but sadly you wont be able to do anything about it so too bad. 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. Was Ken armed at the time that he was killed? On the other hand i used to work with a gal who told me that her ex-husband had been a bartender in Skidmore. The old man let the child have the candy anyway. You say Ken was a real man. 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. yeah thats exactely how it happened , it wasnt planned . On July 10, 1981, on a hot summer morning in a fed-up town, he. Defense lawyer. 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. I visited Skidmore in 2014. I have heard about this case since I was a little girl and remember it on the news but at that time I didnt pay any attention to it. I dont condone killing such as this but fully understand how a town could have finally had ENOUGH. Were the cops afraid of him? However, in his book, former professional Harley Race (who is from Quitman, MO) says that he had a confrontation with McElroy. Whats a drunken short man routine? 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 lived 14 miles from town and there were 20now nothing!! Who else would shoot a man in the back of the head as he sat in his truck?. And here we are in 2021 & some insist the shooter of Ken was a coward. I hope thats not true, but it wouldnt surprise me if it was. and yes he kept harassing the clements and you are right. Google earth doesnt recognize a Valley Rd. I tried to give the towns point of view, but to also be fair to the other people and institutions involved. The nice pickup Kenrex And Trina had just gotten into. Its hard to live with a secret , a sin like that. Some internet accounts have one of the rifles being a 30-30. which he still shared with Sharon and their two kids. if i was a true crime writer this is a story i wouldve liked to write. Thanks for the great book and your comments. Is it time to stop talking about Ken McElroy, his reign of terror, and what happened to him more than 30 years ago? I am loyal to the town. Although I do understand why some of the locals wish it would just go away. Is there a part of you which may sympathize with the certain aspect in his personality which suggests that, at his core, he felt inferior to land-owning farmers? Tonight I rooted for the New England Patriots to beat the Chiefs! the gun could be in a glass case with lights downing on it . maybe they should have the gun that killed mcelroy in a museuem or something, maybe they can build a museueum there celebrating the murder . He was constantly committing crimes and threatening the townspeople. Knew people that had bought or traded coonhounds with/from him. And if not, a few dollars to the right lawyer would suffice. The few times I saw him he was drunk, once so badly he could barely stand. Further on, not too far, is the lot where Kens house once stood. I have been, at least twice a year. Harry. It also tells the story of The Lost Son of Ken Rex McELroy. The sheriff was chagrined to admit that the official files were not in his office. The witch might be dead.. and you should just go your way. We hope something like this never happens again but if it is necessary then so be it. Alice died a few years ago. We made several trips to see them after that and while my mother would here from Ronnie and Treva from time to time we never knew where they were . You are all over the place. Maybe his hunting area was that additional mile. i told this guy ( didnt know his reputation at the time) to back off he gave me an icy cold stare , he did in fact have an imitadation factor about him. They TRIED EVERYTHING, it did not work. That was what infuriated the townspeople. I keep going back to the though of if he knew it was the end for him. I bet not one of them had the gnads to look him in the eye and do it, even with the crowd around let alone one on one, both with guns in hand. Anyways, it says this guy shot a 70yo inthe neck? He did not die in the spring, he did not die slowly. The people BEGGED Law Enforcement to do something for DECADES. I have a few questions. it just is.. it was Justice. Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead inside his pick-up truck on the 10th of July, 1981, via a storm of bullets. He picked on the weak. When the Social Contract is broken, the people must revolt. Rousseau. 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. My feeling is that he did, but he could not show fear. thanks-nicole. I do not see that you wrote of this in your comments. Want more true crime? Most of the guys in NW MO can take care of themselves and would not be afraid of Ken if they had a gun in their hands. Who was the the second alleged 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. Or into their mouths. 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? Remember the incident well, and couldnt read enough about it at the time. Check google maps, street view. I was born in St. Joe; lived there until I married in mid 70s. A year or so after the book was published, I met one of Kens kids who had been adopted out as a child. ..why do you think those small And the girl killed for her baby, and the branson boy. 2. I know how people get frustrated and i realize how this happened with mcelroy! Without justice, people *will* resort to extra-legal violence to right wrongs and settle scores. This was before I knew my first husband. . It was a crime of opportunity he was having some beers and hearing stories about Rex over the years. The people commenting were not representative of the town. it was truly scary , I seen McElroy back in early 81 . 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. vigilante justice, call it what you want.MURDER IS MURDER. I went to his gravesite a few years after he died , & took a piss on his grave, thats how much I thought of him . There are more facts, but Id have to dig into my research for them. This book is still very important because of this unique situation which involved the people of northwest Missouri. McElroy was a narcissistic despot. As the old proverb says; Desperate times call for desperate measures.. I suspect well never know the truth. What if these also failed me? The gas station across from Sumys a rat infested mess. Mr. MaClean, as a writer, you should check your facts before writing such gross untruths. just wondering how the locals felt about her also. Yet, it was in fact the very same legal system that allowed Ken McElroy to get away with what he did for all those years, also failed to bring his killers to justice. Is there any information on his children? So Ken had. Real men dont hit women. 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. Ken would had sooner or later murdered. Ding dong, the witch is dead. Ken Rex McElroy (1 Juni 1934 - 10 Juli 1981) adalah warga Skidmore, Nodaway County, Missouri, Amerika Serikat. From the beginning of his life, on June 1, 1934, Ken Rex McElroy seemed destined for a trouble and cruelty. He always denied any role in the killing. Specifically, he says that McElroy showed up at a bar to bully some retirees out of their pension checks, and Harley was there, confronted McElroy, and knocked him on his butt with a right hook. McElroy had four wives and more than 10 children. Kenny boy didnt seem to have a problem threatening anybody old or smaller than him. I hear its a cheap knockoff of the real story. Those people TRIED to get some relief, they were ignored. This guy needs Jesus. I think it is Delta Road. The person I met was a prominent person in the town. The movie was shot in Elgin, Texas, which youll note bears no resemblance to Skidmore. Gary farmed west of Maryville most all his life. And where can you find his photo? https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84375228/trena-louise-williams. The junk man owns the gas station across from Sumys, and hes letting it fall into disrepair, along with several other places. The Chilling Murder of Skidmore Town Bully Remains a Mystery - Medium 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. I would assume, although I dont know, that Sheriff Estes took then when he left office. I have seen similar areas in my youth. or was he just so mean & un approachable that it wasnt worth the effort. He was known as "the town bully", [1] and his unsolved killing became the focus of international attention. Seemed like they made up a few facts as they went along. In this day and age we would have a ream of cell phone photos of the funeral, which I would definitely have run. Hi Harry I loved reading the book I have a question I know there was a made for TV movie made, have you been approached on making a newer version of a movie? spur of the moment that got completely out of hand . Cmon people use your head. I remember playing with her brothers and little sister as a child. THAT DESTROYED towns across America! They made him move. But all I need is an address and I would gladly show up unarmed.pussy. Has the road been renamed and is the farm still in existence? Nevertheless, they were together for 15 years, and Alice bore two sons and a daughter. I read the shell casings found in the street were from a .22 mag and a 8 mm German or Swedish Mauser. Who else would shoot a man in the back of the head as he sat in his truck? Perhaps you were drunk, too, I live in Independence, MO (after living in LA and Indiana) not far from SkidmoreO have read this book three times it is so goodthe entire story is one of the most intriguing incidents everYou did a GREAT job (And I am a screenwriter, myself (and actor/comedian)I hope you have other true story books, cause I want to read themAre you into screenwriting as well? He was a pedophile that raped 12 year old girls. One night, he came by completely distressed because KRM had cornered him in an alley and threatened him not to testify. skidmore is not a tuff town at all. She just finished installing a new wood burning stove on Friday. 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. Why bring the past back up?? I saw the new restaurant on Facebook (called Goodtime Charlies of Skidmore, Mo. If anyone has information on Treena family I would love to know what happened to them all . But your right, it would have been more polite to just go around to the front of the truck and shoot the SOB in the eye. You or your crew. I think McElroy would have loved Denehey portraying him in the movie. What then? Trena sad she saw him clear as day, what more do you need? I was their that day I was watching from the old gas station on the corner I know who fired the first shot & no I WONT TELL , I TOOK THE OATH TOO. Harry. The boys mostly moved to St Joe. If people dont want to hear or read about this story, then dont come hear. I also was good friends with David Baird. skidmore used ti be a nice little town , ashamed what has happened to it .as for trina , well as someone else on here posted they let her livethats a fact , she couldve easily been blown away by a bullet just like McElroy was they let her walk away, she should have been grateful but she wasnt she went after the towns people in a lawsuit . Im so glad I had nothing to do with it. I heard stories over the years that a couple of men had been offered a sum of money to kill McElroy. Can you talk a bit more about the series? they say if you walk the streets of downtown skidmore mo you can see kens ghost every now & then, that you can still feel his presence in town . Once the grocery store goes, then goes the bank, and the gas station, and theres little left. I dont believe my grandfather would have and thats why it bothered him so much. Probably sobut I also think it might have been mitigated to manslaughter or justifiable homicide. Honestly, she has the townspeople to thank for that because his death was the reason she was able to move on and find her happiness with another man. The story would have gone on forever, regardless. I spent 8 years in the Marines. He was a nice, smart kid, but he had blue eyes and a compelling stare. A guy I know used to go to school at NWMSU in Maryville, and a friend of his who was a deputy sheriff told him to stay the hell out of skidmore, because Ken Rex didnt like college kids too well. 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! 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. Dont say Why dont you MOVE?, unless you are willing to buy it. And you need to learn how to spell: strait is straight. The food was quite good and the young waitress was very hospitable. I have a great affection for the place, have from the first day I walked into the coffee shop almost 25 years ago. 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. Someone who has passed on from this life. 6. I search the internet and couldnt find a link to them. The town cannot seem to catch a break it seems. Such evidence is allowed into courts of law as an exception to the hearsay rule on the theory that someone on his deathbed would have no reason to lie. Slowly, the cast of characters is passing on, but there are still plenty of people alive who witnessed what happened on the mainstreet of Skidmore that morning in July 1981. Also didnt Cheryl marry the town mayor or sheriff? For decades, the man held the town of Skidmore virtually hostage. 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. It was on the west side of the road. EVERYONE has a breaking point. I should have stated that years ago I was introduced to one of the alleged gunmen. No one saw a thing is a piece of junk. Me and my 2 sisters decided to check it out as it was less than 2 hours from where we live. Again, awesome book!! AND the pedophile I will add, yet again. Shes still alive and well living in Helena mo. if a town can have ptsd then Skidmore has lived it for these many decades. The most well known but never verified incident involved a time supposedly in the seventies when he stretched a guy over the railroad tracks around St. Joe and watched as the train ran over him. Is this not what happened with McElroy? I dont think Del knew he was actually going to shoot McElroy until an instant before he reached inside the truck and grabbed his rifle. Was McElroy harassing him or something? One problem solved, but obviously from the tremendous amount of crime in that county, not the ONLY problem. I dont see a valley road..maybe it was renamed? Regardless, he moved McCloud into their house. I honestly dont think it matters who killed McElroy; might as well say all of Skidmore committed a justifiable homicide, in self defence. Thats how human nature works. 2. After a sigh of relief that could be heard for miles, anybody would be overjoyed. 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. its funny , when McElroy died it was like a peace & calm wafted through the air that day .everybody heard about it & sighed a sigh of relief & whispered its finally over to themselves. As for how he died, if you will submit the autopsy report confirming the massive heart attack, I will correct the record. the only hope that we can ever find out who fired the fatal shot is the last person alive who took the oath , as they die one by one , it will be the last person will they make a deathbed confession , will they knowing that their the last will they let the name be known thats the only way it will ever come out. glad to know her life had a happy ending so to speak. I wont name them directly. I put it together mainly because the book was out of print other than on Kindleand I felt that a real book should always be available. Still, thanks for writing there are two sides to every story. a) Ken moved out of his family home so he could be with Alice. Ken Rex McElroy was a bully to put it mildly. 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. Watch the 60 Minutes episode here. Memorial services are planned for July and will be announced. He was also preceded by his sister, Ronda Salsbury; son in law, Carey Barr; grandson, Rob Lowrance; and sister in law, Barb Dowling. In syrafoam boxes and put it on dads tab to pay later. Which now, has me asking a ton of additional questions, thoughts, etc. they could have very easily put a bullet in the back of her head too. As to Kens last moments. I gentleman said he used to own it. Your take on him is a common one, although he has his defenders. Sheesh. I dont agree with calling him a coward, at least not for the shooting. I went to high school with his 3 daughters (from Sharon). She was always a heavy smoker, and I heard that it was from lung cancer, although I dont knwo for sure. Bear, I loved Skidmore in late 70s and early 80s. I am 68, 320 pounds of solid muscle and no fat. McElroy should have been taken care of by law enforcement officers and the courts. Yet, to this day, the crime remains unsolved. R.I.P Kenrex. Mr. MaClean, great book!! Shooting him was a justified act of self-defense for everyone. a narcissistic psychopath that made even the mafia look simple in comparison.. the day they snapped, it was when the last straw had been broken and good people were desperate & did a desperate thing. She related that while McElroy had his problems he was also being harassed. Thanks for taking the time to write. 1. Hi Harry, I would like to know which books you have on the case of Ken McElroy of Skidmore aka the town bully. McElroy's third wife, Trena McCloud, met Ken when he began dating her mother while she was 12. d) He soon became bored and moved on to another underage girl. unless the last living person of that oath is on their deathbed & decides to tell who the shooter was, the shooter that they all covered for. But, I also believe so much evidence was either contaminated by bystanders or simply was taken away. It was sometimes difficult to distinguish myth from reality when it came to Ken Rex McElroy. I dont blame anyone involved for the fact that there was never any trial in this particular case. They were the nicest people and in no way reflected their father. 3. The guy was obviously a bad, mean, thief, rapist , and bully. Del Clement, in my view, was also a coward. They preceded him in death. During our many trips this subject came up and she gave an entirely different perspective on the story. Rex was starting trouble and was holding a rifle so the shooter came out and confronted Rex annd said put the gun down and lets see how tough you are without it fat boy. 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. I found Trena in an Obituary this year. Would love to see the picture you have. Why wasnt the surrounding area taped off and secured by law enforcement for the investigation? It is very obvious the whole thing was planned. the whole story about skidmore is sad & shameful, from what he did & the murder by the towns people . I mean, I guess we all dont want to think our family members could do that. I identify with the descriptions of rural Missouri,in that timeframe,growing up at that time in the same setting in central Missouri. 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. The Most Hated Man In Town. The story of Ken McElroy - Medium The worst by this individual was still to come for this town and they knew it. Theres what appears to be a formerly occupied lot on the south side of Delta, just before the second sharp curve. And even if something of a glimmer came to pass, who would believe it after all this time? My first encounter with the Skidmore story began when I first saw the TV episode of City Confidential some years ago. Rod Rex, You sure are full of your 68 350 pounds of muscle. the reason ken was a bully is he got tired of folks picking on him. I watched a YouTube video of you, the lawyer and family members on the talk show. He stared death in the face and took it like a real man. Ken McElroy: Killed in Broad Daylight | by Lori Johnston - Medium Real men dont have to take little girls, they can get real women. You see, there are the kind of bullies that go away once confronted, then there are others like us that come back and that scares the bejesus out of you. Harry I appreciate the time you have taken to answer my many questions, although it seems as though for each answer ten new questions are raised. Not that it really matters, I suppose. ken rex mcelroy height ken rex mcelroy height - baspeed.com Life forced us to leave the area for a time and we totally lost contact with the family. Ive seen diagrams of plans to shoot McElroy on the backroads of Nodaway County; Intersections where he would have to stop on his way home, with a gunman or gunmen in the trees or behind the bushes. Could you explain your opinion? 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. By this time we was turning at top of the hill ken rex mcelroy heightare caleb pressley interviews real. Alice McElroy Obituary (2006) - Kansas City, MO - Kansas City Star lol. Did he live on the east or west sidethanks. I doubt he really was afraid for his life. 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. a town so fed up with what was going on that it finally took justice,if thats what you want to call it-into their own hands & then all involved took a vow of silence. He may be a lot f things, but hes not a coward in this one instance. If so, I am sorry to hear that, from all indications he was a gentleman and I would have loved to have met him. it was us against the world , thats the attitude we took & yeah we did bulls#@* with the gentleman from playboy ,lol.. he ate it up like candy , we all had a good laugh when he left town . She hesitated to bad mouth him, however, for the sake of the kids. Ive been investigating this from a crime scene point and have a couple of questions. 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. her husband was murdered & she could;nt stick around town looking over her shoulder everytime she stepped outside, wondering if somebody was going to get her too , besides they burned the house down anyway didnt they? I read on your blog a granddaughter said she was happily remarried and had a nice life which is great. Unfortunately, NBC owns the rights, and they would have to agree to sell them, which they are apparently not likely to do. Im curious why you felt No One Saw A Thing was junk. I heard some similar stories about McElroy being harassed by the locals, but not from a family member herself. My mother-in-law was a McElroy. It is an event that is HISTORICAL, and of course sensational so somebody is always going to talk about it. Directed by Israeli filmmaker Avi Belkin, the docuseries explores the unsolved murder of Skidmore, Missouri resident and town bully Ken Rex McElroy, who was shot dead in broad daylight in the middle of the tiny community in 1981. How would you attempt to relate to him? I was a witness , not a shooter . I was good friends with the town Marshall, David Dunbar. This makes it EASY for Thugs to dispose of peoples property out of state. Thank you. Fascinating stuff! Sitting just the next table in front of Kenrex and Trina..we were told by the owner that you need Harry MacLean - Watch the 60 Minutes episode here. | Facebook It was somehow fitting, therefor, that McElroy was shot sitting in his pickup in front of the D & G. Your all wrong. He had no respect for the law or those who enforced it. Maybe if the District Attorney would offer immunity to anyone who witnessed or was involved in McElroys death the rest of the story could be told and the case closed. Being located in the Northwest corner of Missouri, they are just a short drive to Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas jurisdictions. I assume that the Goslee is the same gentleman who you stayed with while you were researching the book. Sorry, Ive never heard that name. None of those last two incidents is surprising. Yes, Bo died before the book was published. The Life of Ken Rex McElroy - Ashley Blackmon Introduction The too soon death of Del left a large whole in the heart of many. My grandpa has always maintained that he was at the Albany court house awaiting ken Rex for his trial. To the residents of the small town, he was the town . I did get the side eye from someone who walked in though, when I was by the front door looking at the photos on the wall. I read it when it was first published. 2. Thought about it last night, did a internet search and here I am. I would have to drive it to be sure, but it sounds like it. Skidmore, Part Three - The Murder of Ken Rex McElroy 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. What would you say to him?
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