Likeliest to get caught up in the moment. She was lucky the town granted her mercy. 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). In 1990 he read my recently released book In Broad Daylight, about the killing of Ken Rex McElroy, and certain things began to click in place. HE WAS A MAN IN HIS THIRTIES WHO IMPREGNATED A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD CHILD. Other times? If she hadnt been terrorized to keep her out of court, she would have probably ended up with substantially more Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Nope. truth is she was kens partner in crime terrorizing the residents of skidmore( yeah I know she was young) but you dont just simply forget that . He had no use for the successful or the educated. You may have a point on my description of Fillmore. This man had such a shameful history of crime to his name that he was definitely no saint. According to court records, McElroy tracked them down and brought them back. I'm happy she found happiness afterward. I intend to write something about it soon. A few stiff sentences, and Dan would have been forgotten, as he deserved to be. They cant fight a man so they beat a woman. One cant imagine a man more the opposite of Ken McElroy. and after the debacle died down, did any of his kids get treated fair? I was raised by a law abiding yet could me an extremely violent man who feared no one big or small. The McElroys never had any money. Plain and simple, Trena was a victim here she was 12 years old when Ken Rex got his hands on her. He is in the St Joseph Memorial Park Cemetery in St Joseph, Buchanan Co, MO. Jeffrey can straighten this out, hopefully. Although Henry survived to personally testify against McElroy, the bully was still found not guilty. I will say that your descriptions in the book are amazingly accurate, as I knew exactly where the trailer with the hogs were left south of Fillmore to deter the deputy chasing him. The other suspect is still alive. She should have sued McFadin for failing her over and over again by protecting Ken instead of protecting her she was a child for petesake. i am happy that she did get to move on and live a happy life. All of these things have combined to make me a true crime fanatic. He said that in Bos younger years he was known as the fastest gun in Northwest Missouri. It is my pleasure to interact with Jeffery on a daily basis and I truely feel he helps keep me grounded. I had never seen the guy before and I made a point of looking at the vehicles in the parking lot when I left. Ken Rexs demise was over 40 years ago and the majority of those who lived there in 1981 are gone now. Ive read al about Ken, always armed with a gun, burning hones! Great literary work, sir. Sixteen days after Trena gave birth, both she and Alice fled to Trena's parents' house. I wish I was able to go to Skidmore & to Kensgrave to visit. Your book may give me a different perception, we will see. https://www.maryvilleforum.com/gallery-2021-skidmore-punkin-show/collection_14ebd20e-f5fa-11eb-8cdc-c35d90891f9e.html#1. I have spoken to him in the past about this situation and he allowed me to borrow the book In Broad Daylight It was an amazing book, and more interesting because I know Jeff. However, I was forbidden to go anywhere near the pool hall in town, and could only go to the post office near it with an adult. Im just sorry, her life started out like it did. No, as a matter of fact I dont think Ive heard the name before. Do any of the haters actually know how someone, especially a young person, can be influenced and manipulated into doing things that is wrong? May he rest in Peace. facts known about the Ken McElroy shooting. Rest in peace trena. I had a fascinating interview with her, though. I just want to say to those people who are hard on Trena, as an ex-abused woman, Im telling you, you do exactly what you are told and you do NOT steer from his demands or you pay for it in the end. The FBI investigated to try to find out who actually shot and killed Ken Rex McElroy, but they had no success. So she has died? These farmers worked hard to raise cattle and to have them stolen is more than just a monetary loss. The law is the law and no one should exploit loop holes in order to ensure someone does not pay for their crimes. In 1981, vigilantes in Skidmore, Mo., took justice into their own hands and killed town bully Ken Rex McElroy but no one was charged with the crime. That mystery will form the heart of SundanceTV's upcoming limited series, No One Saw A Thing and it may just be the most unusual unsolved mystery you'll ever come across. Previous Chapter 1 2 3 . I plan to write a rebuttal to the show it was all inference and speculation and wishful thinking. harry my name is sam lewis. He wouldnt be able to park on the street now for hours to scare people. I would not doubt that situations like this one still happen in this day and age. I would have shot that punkass on my own if he ever started with me..he got what he deserved for sure..I have a real problem with bullies to this day.. Everyone is a victim. I understand his thieving ways gave him plenty of cash to attend to his and his familys needs, but WHO did he buy off to get repeated passes on his crimes? Ive met your uncle, Jeff. I would love to hear from you . They got rid of their bully, but things never got any better for them. More insight into Trenas life with Ken. Love ya Bud, Bobby. How anyone can sit here and speak about her like she would have known any better either way is beyond me! The sleezoid attorney is always a given with guys like this thug. Im sure you would privately feel relieved in the City when your cops shot him dead, but publicly condemn your cops for doing it a-la woke 2021 morality. Small towns should pass laws to protect themselves from such harassment, and people stick together to prevent future problems. Visited the places you wrote about. Others have identified the houses location on Google Earth. No one else ever helped her. He typically preyed upon children from poor, uneducated families. My dad sat on the jury in one of Kens many hearings. And so it goes. Ken McElroy was born in 1934, one of 16 children, author Harry MacLean explains in his book In Broad Daylight, an account of the case. The ones on the Sundance series were from Alice Woods. As for Trena, when I talked to her she sounded like a 14-year-old girl, about the age when McElroy go ahold of her. The towns people were being bullied and never got the help they needed. Very well said. Good for her , if thats true she (I believe) is in heaven because were all sinners & God gives us a chance to redeem ourselves & it sounds like trena redeemed herself . He befriended adolescent boys to gain entre to their female peers. 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. She , at least did eventually find normality and happiness. No one knows how afraid you are to not do everything you can to keep an abusive husband happy. In all, there were 46 potential witnesses to the shooting, including Trena McElroy, who was in the truck with her husband when he was shot. 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. Ken Rex deserved everything that happened to him and his killers deserved jail, too. True Story based on Ken McElroy, the town bully of Skidmore, MissouriBrian Dennehy as Len RowanCloris Leachman as Ruth WestermanMarcia Gay Harden as Adina Ro. Im glad you enjoyed the book. Interesting. I agree with you in many respects. Born into a crowded family, Ken McElroy would soon make a name for himself in the worst way. Cause she did stick up for him! Yours is definitely the majority view, and one that I share. Its similar to Stockholm Syndrome. Harry. You have to remember people were terrorized and held captive in their own town. I can almost bet they both have got there asses kicked by the female gender a time or two..wish I could have seen when karma dry humped them with a cactus in the [emailprotected]&.. (right girls) lol. The bar was called The Timeout and has since been torn down. Ive never come across Charlie again. But I also decided to not live my life even for a minute being afraid of another man. Trena was a child who remained a child for years due to the stunt in emotional maturity that takes place when you are having sex etc. She did not let her past define her. Trena (3rd wife) children; three her obituary stated she had 8 children ?? Could someone on this blog sheet tell me what the title of that other movie was? Growing up poor MEANS NOTHING. The citizens at the meeting decided to go to the tavern en masse; the bar soon filled completely. I read the first book, In Broad Daylight. I dont think Ill touch that one. Followed the link to Trenas obit so pleased to see the post @ her Christian Faith God forgives everyone who repents, and love(d) Trena as much as Mother Teresa and everyone in between Perfection is not a pre-requisite. To this day my source informs me the townsfolk still refer to Bo as the Clint Eastwood of Skidmore Missouri and all the surrounding area. Its use generally means that the person uttering it fears being exposed for his own crimes or the crimes of his friends or family. I thought the group on this thread would appreciate and find the following link interesting. Once they wake up, they make different choices. I would be interested in hearing from Jeffrey about what he thinks about the reaction. Dec. 15, 2010. Especially when youre as young as she was and probably financially dependent on your abuser. I cannot say that the townspeople were wrong in what they did. They will always be associated with this tragedy, and they have to live with the harassment of others. Damien, you may well be right. What was his/her name, and have you had any contact with him/her? As for the question on where her children live, esp the one in Pennsylvania? 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. Lori and myself were adopted together and were raised in MO. In between his many felonies and intimidation tactics, McElroy fathered ten children with different women and married four times. Ken Jr. and Lisa were adopted together and were raised in a western state. Am I the only one who is just as interested in the names and circumstances of judges and prosecutors as the men involved in this shooting? So similar to Skidmore. They were of one mind, clearly, or the entire set of facts sought by the police would be known by now. They had 10 children. funny how all you people talk crap about a dead man. Anyone who knows your Grandmother or has heard her story needs to be reminded of this. I also hung out with Tonya and her boyfriend Chris as they started having babies. I figured I might not be the toughest guy around and I wasnt but I figured Id do till the toughest one got there. ), he was going to defend him. He met his last wife, Trena McCloud (19572012), when she was 12 years old and in eighth grade. She was a grade-a bozo and victim-blamed everyone that was every assaulted by her bumpkin husband, including the children and young women that he sexually assaulted. Being around men as violent as himself would have been true justice. I think the shooters, or the man who pulled her out of the truck anyway, had a sense that killing a woman would do them no good, in fact would lose them the moral high ground. It was an act of self-defense. I am not sure how I even ran across it, but it caught my interest and I started researching it. My grandparents farmhouse mysteriously burnt down while they were away in the early 80s. We need the courage of 1981 Skidmore now more than ever. Required fields are marked *. .His father was indeed the legendary terrorist of Nodaway County, the man who raped and shot and assaulted and stole and burned almost at will for over twenty years, and who, until the very end, was never prosecuted. Trena did not profit from the movie. You have never been an abused woman!!! The aide said the mother had left the hospital to stay with her family, they were waiting for her to return to pick up her son, once she knew she was safe from the father. 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. The McElroy story has fascinated people for the past three decades, and it's easy to see why, with its twists and turns seemingly pulled from the pages of a pulpy crime novel. This all happened over three decades before he was even born. Weighing in at approximately 270 pounds with bushy black sideburns, McElroy held the entire . And why is her family so defensive? Also she was a child! I believe your book is one of the better true crime books I have read. You got a beef with a man you settle it with that man. It went down just as Ken had said it would that they would not dig to deep for his murder and that he would go down in history just like jesse james. I know there was a movie made about it in 1991 titled In Broad Daylight in which Brian Dennehy played the part of Ken Rex McElroy. I mean, come on, think for yourselves! But perhaps I should have looked a little deeper into the place. I get what you are saying, but consider that many violent people (rapists especially) often say things like, I just couldnt help myself, becausefill in the blank. When they find themselves in prison around even tougher people or surrounded by armed guards, they control themselves and behave better. I am glad she found peace and happiness. Abuse wears you down to the point you cannot think for yourself. ( unlike myself) And to look into his eyes one can see alot of innocence in a grown mans eyes, For he has a gentle soul.So Harrys first impression at the airport, was not a clear picture of the man he really is. As as child victim myself I really tried to feel sympathy for Trena, but try as I might I can not comprehend defending your abuser. She tried a few times to leave him and was very frightened of him, but with no one to help her, she relented to KR. A very interesting post, and thanks for the kind words. I saw this while browsing and just couldnt not comment. It took a few years of us knowing each other before I discovered the connection. Really enjoyed your book. It is entertaining seeing what are no doubt urban elitist pontificating, condemning, and throwing around terms like white trash even grammar-shaming while judging the people of 1981 Skidmore with your 2021 morals. He had read the book. Appalling. While she contributed to whatever Ken did, she posed no threat individually. Its amazing that she was able to recover and lead full life. . Several of his victims became pregnant, and McElroy used payoffs and threats to assuage hard feelings by parents. I would be scared to death of him (although, I dont think I would give in to him if it were my daughter, he probably would have killed me, but I would have died trying to save her from him). Say what you will, but not only was Ken Rex an obvious monster, but so was his brainless wife, Trena McElroy. Everybody? Where was the law when KR was intimidating everyone including the law and their family and most importantly, where was the law for Trena? He got what he had coming why keep talking about it its over done, I believe that anyone that wants a vigilante tried for murdering the scum of the earth, is the reason the world is in the sad state of affairs that its in today. MacLean goes on to describe young McElroy as an illiterate bully who kids and adults alike were afraid of; he would steal lunch money from his fellow students and shoplift from local stores with no consequence. I have known Jeff for over 15 years.The best way to describe him is , ( soft spoken, kind hearted, One who never seems to get upset. And if someone gives birth at 14, it means that the father was a pedo and a rapist. I found out the name of that other movie from the 1980s that is about this whole scenario. I am not saying that she was right in some of her actions, but, when people are really backed up in a corner and afraid, they do things to survive and to keep the people they love (ie her family and children) safe! [6] Trena and her baby were placed in foster care at a home in Maryville, Missouri. I was mesmerized by how accurate Harry was in describing the atmosphere of Skidmore. The trauma and scars he left behind will only be brought to justice in the next life, not this one. She said the house didnt burn down and in that same sentence she said faulty wiring. If not, it should be on my website. I know so, because I saw a description of this other movie in a book that Leonard Maltin had published back in 1989 in which he provided movie reviews. An understandable wish. I had no idea Trena had passed. That alone should have put him away. As your life Is meaningful. The aforementioned lawsuit, her bullying the town along with KRM, her defense of a man that raped and abused her, NO and NO! Many elements in common with McElroy/Skidmore: small town local bully, law enforcement and legal system unable to manage the issue and ultimately townspeople took matters into their own hands. Personally, I am shocked his reign of terror lasted as long as it did. She was doing things to help ken terrorize the town . Hmmm. And Im here to say that I fully believe 100% that he was not a bad man. His friends say he is kind and gentle and wouldnt hurt a fly. He is what he is today more than likely because that is what he is skilled at in doing. Henry was forced to admit in court, under questioning by McElroy's attorney Richard Gene McFadin, that he had concealed his own petty criminal conviction from more than 30 years previous. When Trena's parents were away McElroy went to their house, where once again burned the house down and shot the McClouds' new dog. Anonymity, his just desserts. Ken obviously was mentally ill and never got help. And St Joseph, MO inherited some of the McElroy boys who seem to follow in their fathers footsteps. Your email address will not be published. The lot where Kens house once was still stands empty, although there is a trailer in the woods behind it. I am glad she was not harmed in the shooting of Ken. Surprised that there arent more comments on here @ the Sundance Series, No One Saw A ThingIMO, It exposed nothing that Harry didnt reveal In Broad Daylight, other than we are to now surmise that Skidmore is a cursed & dying community. Also, it should be noted that the other movie that came out in the 1980s about this story was told from Trena McElroys point of view rather than that of the townspeople. But I was struck earlier today by the realization (once more) that art can often imitate life. By all account, Ken was wary, if not scared, of going to jail. Someone involved in that might act in a toxic manner. One of the more interesting comments so far. Ken married first name McElroy. He did attempt to do the right thing. We had that one long conversation, and that was it. Agreed. Im pretty sure many are long dead, but to me THIS is the story. I dont understand how a man could allow someone to take your child without putting up a good fight ! The lost son of Ken Rex McElroy. Im not sure if Ken physically abused her but I wouldnt be a bit surprised to learn that he did. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Shocked that trena passed on, her updated pic shows ahappy woman, you mentioned some of the kids are in Pa? But I wasnt there so I cant judge . Not something she wants to talk much about. I didnt feel sorry for Ken Sr but I did feel bad for the kids. She remarried and had children with her new husband. They should have gathered in force and worked together to do something about him and assist the people complaining before the situation got this far. The article on the Punkin show illustrates that Skidmore is still hanging on despite some unfavorable conditions, such as one fellow in particular buying up all sorts of property and turning it into junkyards. I agree with you and Jack. stubbornly in the dark. I remember talking to your Dad. Understand. Sally (wife/girlfriend) children; son (Ken Jr.)?, daughter (Lisa), son (Jeffrey Daising), daughter (Lori Daising). The system completely failed that town. But as long as McElroy kept paying him (in cash, no less! You need to be leave peoples names out of this where was it proven that tammy had anything to do with anything these our false accusations as I am sure a judge would agree. Somewhere down the line, one of his blood will become far worse than he ever was and the cycle will begin again. Now 47, he is the same age McELroy was when he was shot to death on the main street of Skidmore Missouri. they knew what she had to deal with and she only did those things becouse she had to. Unsolved recounts how approximately 60 people were in attendance at the meeting, including both the mayor and the sheriff. Have no sympathy for McElroys wife Trena and his previous wife, they really enjoyed the bullying and intimidating people as much as McElroy. Jeffrey thinks a lot about what it means to be Ken McElroys son. She and her kids moved to a small town outside St. Joe after the killing. For some reason, the Ken McElroy shooting popped into my mind and I wondered what happened to Trena and Ken's children. With Sharon pregnant, McElroy began romancing a 13-year-old named Sally. Interesting comment.In later years I think Trena did come to see what happened as almost inevitable given Kens crimes. For the kids sake anyway. I just realized that you mentioned gary dowling as the second shooter in 2007 (epilogue). What do you say? i lived in mound city from 1978 to 1996. i heard about the story when i was old enough to understand. I also believe someone knew the killer/killers, but as long as its bin since the killing, I kind of doubt anyone will ever come forward as to ever get a conviction in the case.
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