The Vigilante Killing of Ken Rex McElroy

Lets Go To Missourah

Skidmore is tucked away in the North West corner of the state of Missouri.  It sits roughly 100 miles from Kansas City, between an hour and a half to two hours drive depending on the route you take or traffic.  According to the 2020 census, Kansas City had a population of just over 500 thousand.  Skidmore on the other hand had a population of 228 in 2020.  That’s two hundred and twenty eight.. Period.  Not thousand.  Skidmore’s population is roughly .046 percent of the population of Kansas City.  Obviously there are tons of towns smaller than KC throughout the country, but we’re just trying to illustrate how small Skidmore is in the grand scheme of things.  ITS SMALLLLLLLL

Taking a closer look at Skidmore, the median individual income is less than $25,000 per year, while the household income sits right around $40,000.  About 20% of the population lives at or below the poverty line; in 2021, the national average was just over 11%.  Now, we’re not going over this just to be like “Hey, lets shit on Skidmore,” we’re trying to paint a picture of what the town of Skidmore and life in Skidmore is like.  If we travel back to the early 80s, Skidmore’s population was almost double what it is today, around 440 people.  

In the small town, there was a general store, local bar, a town hall / courthouse… it definitely gives Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show vibes.  They had a sheriff and a couple deputies, and many of the residents were farmers or worked in similar day labor jobs in the area.  One thing that we often hear about small towns though is that there are no secrets.  Everybody knows everybody, and everyone knows what skeletons are in which closets.  For almost 40 years though, the residents of Skidmore have managed to keep a secret; Who killed Ken McElroy??

Lets Meet Ken McElroy… He’s A Gem.

Ken Rex McElroy was born in June of 1934 in Overland Park, Kansas.  His mother and father, Mabel and Tony, moved the family between Kansas and the Ozarks over the course of a few years before eventually settling outside of Skidmore Missouri.  Ken was the 15th of 16 children.  As you might have guessed, money was tight and food was scarce.  They were extremely poor, and did what they needed to do to make ends meet.  

When he was 15 years old, Ken McElroy dropped out of school, in the 8th grade, and started to work odd jobs here and there to help bring money into the family.  Along with those odd jobs though, Ken began to dabble in a life of crime to try to make money or help provide for the family.  For the next few decades, McElroy was suspected to be involved in the theft of grain, gasoline, antiques, and livestock.  He made a living by leasing out land that he owned for hunting / farming.  But, he was a lifelong, career criminal, and the cops around Skidmore and Nodaway County were familiar with him from the time he was 13 years old.  

McElroy was a behemoth of a man, and towered above almost anyone he was around. He stood above 6 feet and weighed around 270 pounds.  He had an intimidating presence, and used that often to get away with the crimes he committed.  Over the course of his life, McElroy had charges brought against him 21 times, but he avoided jail time in each instance.  Mostly because any witness would eventually refuse to cooperate with police or testify against McElroy.  Why?  Because McElroy would intimidate them by following them when they left home, or parking outside their homes for hours on end. In the off chance that he would have to go to a trial on a charge, the jurors would suddenly have issues and be unable to continue.  Maybe they go out to check their mail and *boom* rattlesnake in the mailbox. 

McElroy had a reputation around Skidmore, and many called him the Town Bully.  He knew the people he could pick on though; he knew the “weak ones” who wouldn’t fight back.  Some livestock owners would look the other way if a few cattle or hogs went missing or a barrel or two of fuel went missing during the night.  They wouldn’t call the police.  For some, even mentioning his name would elicit terror in their expression.  The people of Skidmore looked at it as a matter of self preservation.  IF they called the police, retaliation would be severe.  One resident said, “Our law enforcement never went after him very hard.  The son of a bitch would just as soon shoot them as anyone else.”

McElroy had more than 10 children with different women.  When he died, he was married to Trena McCloud.  How did they meet you ask?  Welll, when she was 12 years old, in 8th grade, McElroy raped her repeatedly.  After this, McElroy claimed that he and Trena were in a relationship, which Trena’s parents obviously opposed and fought against.  In response to them not allowing their 12-13 year old daughter to date a grown assed man, McElroy is said to have gone to the family’s home and burned it down and shot the family dog.  After this, they relented and allowed the “relationship” to continue.  When Trena was 14, she became pregnant and dropped out of school.  McElroy moved her into his house.. With Alice, the woman he was currently married to (his second wife).  

At this point, McElroy learned that he was going to be charged with statutory rape, and he divorced Alice…. So he could then travel to a neighboring area where he could legally marry Trena and try to avoid the charges, because she was the only witness to the rape, and as his spouse, she couldn’t be compelled to testify against him.  WTFFFFFFFFF

A little over 2 weeks after Trena gave birth, she and Alice both fled from McElroy’s home.  They went to Trena’s mom and stepfather’s house.  According to police and court records, McElroy eventually tracked them down and brought both of them back to his house.  He then returned to Trena’s mom’s house and… burned it down and shot their dog.  Again.  WTFFFFFFF

What Led to Ken Being Shot?

So, Trena said that in June of 1973, Ken was indicted for arson, assault, and statutory rape.  He was arrested, booked, arraigned, and released on a $2500 bail.  If we go back a few years, before this took place, Ken had hired himself what some called a “nickelslick” lawyer out of Kansas City, Richard Gene McFadin.  When the two first met, McFadin told McElroy that he might not be able to afford him, and McElroy told him to let him decide whether or not he could.  He then pulled out a wad of cash, and McFadin told him that he had himself a lawyer.  McFadin would go in and argue for McElroy at every opportunity, and he was good at it, so often times, McElroy was able to get out of things with minimal consequences.  

When he was arrested this time, Trena and their baby were both sent to foster care in nearby Maryville, MO.  This won’t come as a shock, but Ken found the foster home they were living in and sat outside of the family’s home for hours on end.  He approached the foster family and told them that he would trade “girl for girl,” to get his child back.  He told them that he knew where their biological daughter went to school and what bus she rode.  Additional charges were filed against him.  Looking into it, I’ve been unable to find exactly when or how these charges disappeared, but from a newspaper clipping, it looks like Trena refused to testify and denied any and all previous statements.  That coupled with the work of his lawyer allowed McElroy to escape justice. 

In July of 1976, a farmer in Skidmore, Romaine Henry, confronted McElroy about being on his property illegally and shooting some guns without permission.  In response… McElroy shot the man twice with a shotgun and left the scene.  Romaine Henry survived, and McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill.  McElroy denied he was even at the scene of the crime.  McElroy’s lawyer filed motions to change the date of the trial and it dragged on and on.  During that time, Romaine said that McElroy had parked outside his house and watched him hundreds of times.  When they finally went to trial, McElroy had two hunters testify that he was with them that day, away from Romaine Henry’s property.  At one point, Henry was testifying, and McElroy’s lawyer began to question him about his past.  During this questioning, Henry was forced to admit to a petty criminal conviction from over 30 years ago which he had been concealing for almost 3 decades.  Because of this, he was painted as untrustworthy to the jury.  McElroy was acquitted on the charges. 

In 1980, two of the McElroy children went into town to the local grocery / general store.  One was between 10 to 15 years old and the other was younger, probably 4 to 5 years old.  When they were in the store, the younger child was accused of stealing some candy by one of the clerks at the store.  After they were confronted, the children went back home and told Trena.  She then went to the store and confronted them.  After some yelling back and forth, Trena reportedly told them something along the lines of “You’re about to meet Ken McElroy.”  Meaning that she was going to unleash Ken on them.  And.. that’s what happened. 

Ken began doing what he always did.  He would follow the owner “Bo” Bowenkamp  and his family around when they went anywhere.  He parked outside their house for hours on end and made threats against them.  He basically stalked them until finally making his move.  One day, Bo was out behind the grocery store when Ken approached, shotgun in hand.  They two exchanged words and escalated, eventually resulting in Bo being shot in the neck.  Bo survived the attack, and Ken was charged with attempted murder.  Surprisingly, McElroy was actually found guilty of the charges at trial.  Immediately, his lawyer filed for an appeal and argued that McElroy should be released on bail pending his appeal, and he was released on $40,000 bond. 

Immediately after his release, he went to the local bar the D&G Tavern with an M1 Garand rifle with a bayonet attached.  While there, he made several graphic threats about what he was going to do to Bo Bowenkamp when he had the opportunity.  Several people then got together and went to the Sheriff, Dan Estes, to see what they could legally do to stop McElroy.  The Sheriff suggested a neighborhood watch. 

The Day of Ken McElroy’s Murder

On July 10th, 1981, several residents on Skidmore (Some say it was pretty much the entire town, some say anywhere between 50 and 150) met at the legion hall.  In attendance as well was Danny Estes, the sheriff.  What were they discussing?  Well, they were again meeting to discuss what to do about their Ken McElroy problem.  Ya see, at this point, they didn’t feel like the police / authorities were able to do anything to stop McElroy.  Every time he was arrested, he always found a way out of it.  They had zero faith that his upcoming appeal would go against him, and felt like he would soon be free to torment them as he had always done.  

At the same time as their meeting, Ken and Trena had made their way into town, specifically to the D&G Tavern.  The owners of the bar hated when Ken was there, because it instantly meant that the bar would be empty.  Everyone would leave and avoid the place at all costs.  While he was there, he had a few drinks before deciding to leave.  

Back at the legion hall, they received word that Ken was in town and at the bar.  Up until this point, the people there had been talking with Sheriff Estes, and he had been encouraging them to flesh out the neighborhood watch idea.  They were discussing specifics when someone entered and informed them that McElroy was right down the street.  That brought the meeting to a close pretty much.  Sheriff Estes encouraged everyone to not go confront McElroy, and again that they should seriously consider this neighborhood watch idea… then he got in his police cruiser and drove out of town.  

After Estes left, the crowd from the legion hall decided to … go to the D&G Tavern.  So suddenly, dozens of people filled the small tavern.  Trena and Ken sat there watching the bar fill up and finally finished their drinks.  Ken purchased an additional six pack and the couple walked out and got in their truck.  As they did, everyone that was in the bar trickled out and began to surround the truck.  As they sat in the truck looking at the crowd surrounding them, a shot rang out … then another and another.  Then the shooting stopped.  McElroy had slumped over onto the steering wheel. Before the shooting started, he had started his truck.  After he was shot, his foot had pressed down on the gas pedal.  The truck engine roared until it finally blew.  No one called an ambulance.  He had been hit twice, which resulted in his death.  Eventually, an ambulance arrived at the scene and it was clear that no one tried to administer any aid.  Immediately after the shooting, Trena was taken from the truck to a nearby bank and told to wait there as the first shot rang out.  

Trena spoke with the police and said that she was able to identify at least one of the shooters.  She said that right before the shots started, she looked behind the truck and saw Del Clement go to his truck and pull out a rifle then shoot Ken in the back of the head through the back window of the truck.  Clement was a part owner of the D&G Tavern as well as a farmer.  He had motivation because of the loss of sales when Ken would come to the bar, but he had other motivation.  Over the years, he had livestock go missing, and Ken was suspected of being the reason for their disappearance.  Some estimates say there were 30, and some say that there were upwards to 100 people around the area at the time of the shooting.  I believe that the official record says that there were 46 people who were possible witnesses.  Of those 46, no one claimed that they were able to identify a possible shooter or shooters.  One person put it like this: Everyone was looking forward or right, no one looked left where the shots came from. 

Trena told everyone who would listen that it was Clement, including the county prosecutor, sheriff, FBI Investigators, and three grand juries.  But, she was the only one talking.  Skidmore’s population had little else to say other than that they heard shooting and hit the ground to avoid being struck by a bullet.  They didn’t see who started it, if there had been one shooter or several, or if anyone was fleeing the scene.  One witness mentioned seeing Clement and a passenger speeding down a road after the shooting but later recanted that statement.  The FBI kicked off an extensive investigation into the shooting.  They talked with the locals repeatedly,  but no one ever said anything.  A year into their investigation, they closed it.  One Missouri based journalist said that the attitude of the town seemed to be “He needed killing,” referring to Ken.

In July of 1984, Trina filed a wrongful death suit against the town of Skidmore, Nodaway County, Sheriff Estes, Steve Peters (the mayor of Skidmore, and Del Clement (who was never charged).  The case was eventually settled out of court for a little over $17,000.  No one admitted guilt, and the stated reason for the settlement was to avoid costly legal fees which would be associated with the case if it proceeded.  

Trena moved out of the Skidmore area to Lebanon, Missouri.  She remarried, but died of cancer on her 55th birthday in 2012.

There have been a few different stories about this case.  60 minutes did a segment on it back in 1982.  In 1988, a book was written by Harry MacLean “In Broad Daylight.”  In 1991, it was turned into a made for TV movie starring Brian Dennehy, Marica Gay Harden, and Chris Cooper.  In 2019, the 6 part mini-series “No One Saw A Thing” aired on Sundance TV about the murder of Ken McElroy and the town of Skidmore.  

After the murder, the town that sought vigilante justice was nationwide news.  Newspapers had headlines that read “Town Bully is Dead,” or “Woman Says Husband Killed by Vigilante.”  When reporters came to the town to talk to people, they were tight lipped and treated with disdain.  Even today, when outsiders go to Skidmore, they say that they’re made to feel unwelcome pretty much immediately.