https://www.laclederecord.com/stories/debbie-ann-mcelroy,8800: Harry, No sympathy for KM or his wife. OBVIOUSLY, they werent. They were innocent of all of this. Sorry not happening! When she balked at sex, he beat her and threatened to kill her father. Theres no way anyone could have been convicted of anything, given the evidence of what McElroy had done to Skidmore. Good bless your family, what a strong qonderful qoman to have survived Ken and his abuse, She protected her kids, and ended up with the life she deserved. But I wasnt there so I cant judge . My grandfather is a great man and to know that he placed the fear of God in Ken and he never backed down from him makes him a remarkable man! Yes, and I am one person of many who believes vigilante justice has a place in this world. I wish peace and happiness for all of them and hopefully they can close this chapter of their lives. A town having inadequate policing. I am shocked and horrified by the story particularly that in the 20th century that the LAW ( I blame the Law for not being more proactive to help Trena & her family) were unable to protect a young girl from sexual abuse. Tammy was Sharons daughter, and I would guess she was around 13. Weighing in at approximately 270 pounds with bushy black sideburns, McElroy held the entire . It will probably remain unsolved. I had never seen the guy before and I made a point of looking at the vehicles in the parking lot when I left. This poor lady. Harry, "[13], McElroy was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Joseph, Missouri. Extremely hard working people. The book indicated that Ken was accepting of at least some of Charlies advice, and I hope that at least a part of Kens psyche and soul may have accepted Christ. As a novice writer myself, nowhere near the talent and expertise you display, I was told by a confidential source (Whom I shall not identify due to privacy). Aside from MacLean's book and Judge's podcast, the case has also been covered in episodes of the podcast My Favorite Murder and the TV show Drunk History, as well as having been turned into two movies, including the 1991 made-for-TV adaptation of MacLean's In Broad Daylight starring Tony winner Brian Dennehy, Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, and Emmy winner Cloris Leachman. Suing the town was not right but perhaps there were pragmatic reasons (being a single mother without anyone but Ken to rely on, maybe; having to rapidly relocate). Now, there is a saying, that explains it but it doesnt excuse it. I knew your grandmother and her family and yes she was a beautiful normal girl that is until Ken decided she belong to him I remember the last time I seen her she was pregnant setting in the swing talking to my sister crying , I remember him stalking her as she was with her family visiting mine , I remember her families house being burned to the ground, 40 + years and I still remember the fear. Ken Jr. was the oldest of Sallys children and knew of the story but he had no desire to re-connect with Sally, myself or Lori according to Lisa. If they dont need to or dont KNOW they can beat everyone, they act right. "It pained a lot of them, there's no doubt about that. Yep. Either way, the prosecutor and judge are the gate keepers of civil society. Harry, I plan to write a rebuttal to the show it was all inference and speculation and wishful thinking. When your parents show you arbitrary cruelty and dont acknowledge their wrongdoing, it humiliates you, and you begin looking for outlets on which to impose your own anger, so you can feel in control again. I wonder if del clement and kr made peace in hell, because I know they are both there. I saw him back down from a guy once at Rutledge over a dog. This woman had her childhood ripped away from her. However, I can also be sure that yet another movie was released back in the 1980s about these same events that took place in Skimore, Missouri. And if someone gives birth at 14, it means that the father was a pedo and a rapist. Some of them have posted here; others have responded on my web site. We need the courage of 1981 Skidmore now more than ever. They cant fight a man so they beat a woman. Seriously how on earth did that town, police, or her parents just let her be abducted? Its similar to Stockholm Syndrome. As someone who was married to a horrible bully at a young age, I understand. I think it came out in 1987 or 1988, but Im not sure. Two of the children, a boy and a girl, were adopted together, to a family in St. Joe. I only know of Juarez, Ken Jr, tony and Jeff , such an amazing story, I am Juarez McElroys son Damien and i think your storys a lil.well..i guess not fully informed on the whole lifestyle of my Grandpa. My condolences to her family. Trena was my grandmother, she died on January 24th, her 55th birthday, not the 28th. I reckon the evidence is in that it wouldnt stop an 8mm Mauser round. What did they ever do with the lot were Kens house was? I live in Lawrence, Kansas which is about 90 miles from Skidmore, Missouri. I loved your book Very thorough and compassionate accounting. I researched every aspect of the family as thoroughly as I could and tried to be as fair as possible. https://www.laclederecord.com/stories/debbie-ann-mcelroy,8800, https://www.maryvilleforum.com/gallery-2021-skidmore-punkin-show/collection_14ebd20e-f5fa-11eb-8cdc-c35d90891f9e.html#1, In Broad Daylight Classic Print Edition. Im sorry, in my comment above I mean to say the bar was called Brews Blue Town. No names were mentioned. She was lucky that the second bullet didnt strike her. Were you ever able to make any connection between McElroy and the town of Peculiar, MO? I feel some pity for this woman,but none for the criminal who got his just deserts. Just read your latest blog, in which you talked about your meeting with Jeffrey. On July 9, 1984, Trena McElroy filed a $5 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Town of Skidmore, County of Nodaway, Sheriff Danny Estes, Steve Peters (Mayor of Skidmore), and Del Clement (whom Trena accused of being the shooter, but who was never charged). He shot men. He met his fourth wife, Trena, when she was twelve years old.. Ken Rex McElroy (1934-1981) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree On paper, a crime was committed, but justice was nonetheless served. Its not the townspeople who owed her anything. I appreciate it! He hit only twice, once by a centerfire rifle and once by a .22 rimfire rifle. Ken McElroy got around a lot more than most people realize. You could argue that the town failed to protect an abducted 12 year old and owed her damages for the subsequent rapes and abuse she endured. Shooting that animal was not cowardly except in a criminal mind. But his side was never told! Its located on 9th st by Patee House. Ken was my grandfather derome was my father Im deromes oldest my mother is trace I wish I could of meet my grandfather. She must have been an amazing woman moving on from this. I also knew Faye Copeland of Ray and Faye Copeland fame, was the very next tenant in an apartment in St. Joe from which a young woman had disappeared and was later found murdered, and know a woman named Angela (Angie) who was kidnapped by the same guy suspected of killing Crystal Kipper-John Williams. Hug them! By all account, Ken was wary, if not scared, of going to jail. On the morning of July 10th, 1981, shots rang out in the small town of Skidmore, Missouri. I also hung out with Tonya and her boyfriend Chris as they started having babies. Many of the people in it have since gone on to some fame. The law fails. But I dont understand her denial and defensiveness until her death. I was brutally beaten by a 24 year old boyfriend when I was 14. Enjoy reading these comments as well. Mr MacLean, you are a lawyer, right? Where were all these state patrol investigators when he was running loose? The Most Hated Man In Town. The story of Ken McElroy | by Chelsea Rose They are both burning in hell fire ? The murder of Ken Rex McElroy took place in plain view of dozens of residents of this small farm town, under the glare of the morning sun. Im a true crime buff, and your book is one of my favourites. Now he had to deal with the truth. He was defended by Gene McFadin, who defended Ken. Trena did not profit from the movie. Im guessing the third shooter was a brother of either clement or dowling; or a second member of the group of four planning to testify. Obit with photo of Trena Louise McNeeley McElroy Williams, 1957-2012. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Im glad you liked the book. Its around 2 hours away from Skidmore. . He had read the book. only if you are from that area could you understand what happened. Interesting. As for the question on where her children live, esp the one in Pennsylvania? Do the world a favor, end the line. Hard working people who never give up. Whatever happened to the children of ken McElroy? I do not think badly of this man and I dont know that the rest of you should either cuz I have heard some pretty good stories about him stories that shows that he has a heart. Ive been saying the exact sam thing the last few days. She stayed close to her parents, which was always curious. If anything, she owed the townspeople something. You need to get a job yourself and quit sniveling. When I met him his demeanor was exactly like you described in your book. I want to feel something for Trena but as she carried a gun and was a lookout to help him when he went to town to terrorize people and sued them later, Im struggling. She begged to talk to him. First: WHO THE HECK WAS THIS GUY? Farming is damn hard work. Trena went on to remarry in 1983, and died in 2012. The fact that 45+ people didnt see anything tells me that there was no choice in the matter. City Confidential pissed me off because all of the info in the show came from my book and they failed to credit it. It sounds to me like some powerful people didnt want Ken to go to prison and so let him run rampant with impunity. One of them, Jeffy, had a hernia problem. It took a few years of us knowing each other before I discovered the connection. Before then he just knew he had been adopted. I intend to write something about it soon. McElroy was known to have stolen grain, alcohol, gasoline, antiques, and even livestock. do not judge until you have walked in her shoes. They should have shot her to she tried to fight the elderly shop keeper and gave interviews on what a saint ken was. Why would the be a connection? That, alone, is testament to just how horrible a human being this man must have been. Im heartened to read of Trenas reformation, and saddened that her life was cut so short. She was bullied by this devious, evil, selfish man, completely dominated, and she made mistakes. Neither am I. Ken was a good guy and a good friend with those he was comfortable with. Thanks for writing such a terrific book. She stayed close to her parents, curiously enough. So similar to Skidmore. No matter how many years go by and how well things seem to be going for these children, I have to wonder how all this has really scarred them. I am sorry for all of his children (and their children), his victims and the townspeople of Skidmore. According to a Mental Floss article on McElroy, the 70-year-old Bowenkamp barely survived the violent encounter; but although McElroy was convicted of second-degree assault and sentenced to two years in prison, he immediately appealed the conviction and was released on bond. As another poster stated, the Golden Rule could have been applied in this situation. the odd thing is sence june of 96 i have lived in lebanon mo. From the impression I got, the law enforcement officers, with exception of Corporal Stratton of the State Patrol, seemed to back down to Ken out of fear the same as the townspeople did for a while. Ken McElroy was born in 1934 as the penultimate child among 16 other children. He spent time in Denver with his new bride, Oleta, but returned to Missouri because he couldn't hold a job. To me, what makes a person unforgivable is their refusal to repent for their actions. You cant make that case at all. I wanted to clarify the last comment I made, Lori is also Sally and Kens biological child. The figure sitting across from me at the small table only barely resembled the young man I had met almost twenty years ago. When I visited often in the late 50s, 60s & early 70s, it was a prettier & quiet little town. Jeffrey can straighten this out, hopefully. You guys couldn't take care of him, we had to take care of him,'" the author says. I am glad she was not harmed in the shooting of Ken. The system completely failed that town. Ken may have done wrong is quite an understatement. Sheriff Estes instructed the assembled group not to get into a direct confrontation with McElroy, but instead seriously consider forming a neighborhood watch program. Fear was Ken Rexs weapon and he used it well. I am the Granddaughter of Richard Stratton (my mother is Vickie). The entire town may not have shot the thug nor burned the house down, but its pretty clear that the entire town turned a blind eye for a reason. I feel he abused the legal system to the point, he should have been disbarred. Those things happened because the criminal in a case like this is an animal, and his/her subsequent crimes only took place because of the evil inside of that person. He was my favorite person in the book and someone I would have really liked to meet. In late 1964, with Sharon again pregnant and both young women with newborns, McElroy took up with Alice, a 15-year-old from St. Joseph, Mo., 50 miles south of Skidmore. The girly-woman had made herself a cozy nest in the strong arms of macho man the rapist, the local brute, and became his breeding machine, profited from him and thus never fled. How about the guy Red that ran the bar when Ken was shot? He has been alive and living. Oh well, karma did its job and gave her the cancer. I felt sorry for Trena to a certain extent. McElroy married for the first time at age 18, in 1952. There is a certain defense to self defense when it comes to terrorism. I told her I would check with Jeffrey. The thug known as Ken has a few defenders just as all criminals have a few defenders. My condolences to her family. she was lucky enough to get outta the truck that hot summer day when Ken was MURDERED .. & call it what you want .. vigilante justice or whatever .. it was MURDER. My daddy was a quite man but very protective of his 5 daughters and wonderful role model to my one brother ! The law did nothing to help. Perhaps she was plain and nave but she was always aware of what Ken was doing; every day of it. A thousand sleezy lawyers cant do the harm to society what a few ( especially in tiny communities were there may only be a couple) inept/corrupt/cowardly judges or prosecutors will. Especially when youre as young as she was and probably financially dependent on your abuser. I was in skidmore, some years back, as a result of the interest, the book sparked in me. Ken, Rex McElroy was born on month day 1934, at birth place, Missouri, to Anthony, Wyatt McElroy and Mable, Marie Lister. . Which at the very least is what every human deserves. Kids are easily misled by the adults who say trust me or I can give you this and that and they dont have the maturity to turn it down, much less defend themselves. But Ken may have done wrong, but he was a human being too, & looks like someone who knew something would have had the heart to come forward to help out in the matter. No one else ever helped her. Immediately after being released at a post-trial hearing, McElroy went to the D&G Tavern, a local bar, with an M1 Garand rifle with a bayonet attached, and made graphic threats about what he would do to Bo Bowenkamp. HE WAS A MAN IN HIS THIRTIES WHO IMPREGNATED A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD CHILD. He taught me a lot about life and how being true to yourself makes a difference in your life and the lives of others. Only the local pastor and one or two others helped out, especially as it looks like the Bowenkemps were decent hardworking people, really pitied them and their daughter for what they had to go through. Without him around to protect her, she wilted back down to reality. fuck that guy may he burn in hell. My granny a honest and good person told me you are no better than than who you are married to. THATS TOTAL BS. Trena had three kids by McElroy. Just a matter of a fact type situation. Although three separate grand juries were convened and later the FBI investigated when local authorities failed to make any progress not a single person was ever charged with killing Ken McElroy. My dad sat on the jury in one of Kens many hearings. They were of one mind, clearly, or the entire set of facts sought by the police would be known by now. Ken Jr. and Lisa were adopted together and were raised in a western state. The long view of Trena is that she was essentially a victim. All this still going on is bull what he done is nonthing compared to what goes on in the big cities everyday and they dont go making books and movies about it. Flipping television channels I ran across the old film Road House. McElroy left many children, and some of them were extremely unhappy with the way their father was killed and the way he was portrayed in my book In Broad Daylight. I dont believe that vigilante violence is justifiable, but in this case it is. I dont think they will be. They were all white trash, she was just as guilty as Ken McElroy was in terrorizing those people, although they picked the right town apparently, you can only bully people for so long, shes lucky she didnt meet the same fate. Although Trena rode with McElroy at the end, she was victimized by him at age 12. I had relatives in Fillmore, MO and found your comments of there a bit mean. I was born and raised in St. Joseph and my Mother who has since passed had told me that my Father (who died when I was 2) who was a St. Joe Police Officer knew Officer Stratton. stubbornly in the dark. Nothing was ever done. I remember him telling us not to go to the mail box because McElroy threatened to put rattlesnakes in every mail box belonging to the jury. But as years went on, Trena chose to harass the people of Skidmore along with her husband. i lived in mound city from 1978 to 1996. i heard about the story when i was old enough to understand. It is titled The Town Bully and it was released in 1988. What I want to know, is WHO were the officials who let him walk every time and WHY? Ken McElroy was in a paradoxical sense victimized by his lack of education, poverty stricken upbringing, a father who refused to punish him for his bad behaviour and his own seeming inability to improve his lot in life. Aside from his cruelty and sociopathy, given different life circumstances he could have put that nimble mind of his to some meaningful use. City Confidential is a rip off of the book, and it annoys me to hear it cited for anything. Whether this is the case or not, Ken McElroy terrorized the town he lived in, however one day retribution would end his reign. I agree with you wholeheartedly. I really love this post. When you grow up like that you can become an absolute mental slave to someone who makes you feel like you matter to them, particularly if they sink their teeth into you when you are a teenager and your frontal lobes havent fully developed.
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