![]() ![]() There were 46 witnesses to the shooting including McElroy's wife, Trena, who was in the truck with him at the time, but was left unharmed. McElroy was shot twice once by a centerfire rifle, and once by a. Two unidentified gunmen opened fire on the vehicle. McElroy eventually finished his drink, purchased a six pack of beer, left the bar, and went to his truck with his wife. The citizens decided to go to the tavern en masse. Estes then drove out of town in his police cruiser. ![]() Sheriff Estes instructed the assembled group not to get into a direct confrontation with McElroy, but instead seriously consider forming a neighborhood watch program. As he sat drinking at the bar, word got back to the men at the Legion Hall that he was in town. During the meeting, McElroy arrived at the D&G Tavern with Trena. On the morning of July 10th 1981, townspeople met at the Legion Hall in the center of town with Sheriff Estes to discuss how to protect themselves. Once again, McElroy's bail hearing was delayed. Nodaway County Sheriff Dan Estes suggested they form a neighborhood watch. This led to several patrons deciding to see what they could legally do to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. 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 bayonette attached, and made graphic threats about what he would do to Mr. McElroy was eventually convicted of assault and sentenced to two years in prison, but was freed on bail pending his appeal. Bowenkamp survived, and McElroy was arrested and charged with attempted murder, but was soon released on bail, and continued harassing and intimidating witnesses. In the ensuing confrontation, McElroy shot Bowenkamp in the neck. Enraged by the accusation, Ken McElroy started stalking Bowenkamps, and eventually threatened Ernest in the back of his store, with a shotgun. In 1980s, one of Ken McElroy's children was caught shoplifting a piece of candy at a local store, owned by Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp and his wife, Lois. He then returned to Trena's parents' home when they were away, shot the family dog, and burned down the house. According to court records, McElroy tracked them down and brought them back. Sixteen days after Trena gave birth, both she and Alice fled to Trena's mother's and stepfather's house. McElroy divorced Alice and married Trena in order to escape charges of statutory rape, to which she was the only witness. She became pregnant when she was fourteen, dropped out of school in the ninth grade, and went to live with McElroy and his third wife Alice. He met his last wife, Trena McCloud (1957–2012) when she was 12 years old and in eighth grade. McElroy fathered more than 10 children with different women. McElroy would intimidate them by stalking them, often parking his pick-up in front of their homes at night and watching them. ![]() Reportedly, he was able to escape conviction because all the witnesses were too afraid to testify. He was indicted twenty times, but never convicted of any crime. ![]() Over the course of his life, McElroy was accused of dozens of felonies, including assault, child molestation, statutory rape, arson, hog and cattle rustling, and burglary. Ken Rex McElroy, a local resident, reportedly terrorized the town of Skidmore for years. It is arguably one of the most infamous modern cases of vigilante justice, and has already been discussed on this subreddit multiple times. The first major murder case from Skidmore, Missouri, took place in 1981. Let's go through some of the more notorious cases. Despite its small population, the town has a long history of violence, and an unusually high crime rate per capita (murder rate included). The population was 284 at the 2010 Census (estimated 269 as of 2016). Skidmore is a small town in Nodaway County, Missouri, United States. ![]()
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