The Ultimate Who-Dun-It: Who Killed Ken McElroy?

Despite the MANY crimes he committed, McElroy always managed to avoid conviction, a bright shining light on how broken the criminal justice system has been for decades. However, on July 10th, 1981, karma, God, fate, whatever you want to call it, came full circle. McElroy finally got what was coming to him when he was surrounded by a mob of around 50 townsfolk outside the local tavern.

Small-Town Terror

Ken McElroy was VERY disliked in his community. He was accused of dozens of crimes, including but not limited to assault, child molestation, statutory rape, arson, burglary, and animal cruelty throughout his life. He was a real-life monster in human skin.

Born in 1934, Ken Rex McElroy was a resident of Skidmore, Missouri. To Skidmore residents, he was a bully, a terror, a psychotic man that the law didn't stop, regardless of his numerous crimes and accusations.

After dropping out of eighth grade, McElroy became known as the town bully, which was a MAJOR understatement. He was charged on 21 separate occasions with theft but never saw time behind bars because he loved intimidating witnesses.

McElroy raped 12-year-old Trena McCloud but managed to avoid statutory rape charges by divorcing his wife and marrying the young girl when she was 14 and pregnant with HIS child. You may be thinking, "How in the hell did her parents allow this?!" Well, he made her parents agree to the marriage by setting their house on fire and shooting their dog! And somehow, this man just walked freely?

In July of 1976, McElroy shot Romaine Henry, a local farmer. Henry survived, and McElroy was charged with assault with intent to kill. However, McElroy managed to avoid any consequences. His attorney produced two witnesses who claimed they were hunting with McElroy that day, and they were nowhere near the scene of the shooting. Somehow, he was found not guilty.

Yet again, McElroy was involved in a shooting in 1980 where he shot 70-year-old Ernest "Bo" Bowenkamp, a local grocer, over an argument about whether McElroy's child had a stolen piece of candy. The grocery lived, and McElroy was convicted of assault. Do you know what happened next? You guessed it, he was let out of jail while awaiting appeal, then publicly threatened Ernest with a rifle. What a shocker.

Overall, author Harry MacLean, who wrote about McElroy's story, was baffled by his story because he didn't have a bank account or a social security number and didn't know how to read. Yet, this uneducated "man" managed to outwit the criminal justice system for over twenty years! How?!

McElroy's "Attorney"

Almost every single resident of the tight-knit community of Skidmore despised McElroy, but ONE person had good things to say about him. McElroy's attorney, Richard McFadin, routinely defended Ken McElroy in three or four felonies A YEAR! Now, his evasion of justice makes sense.

McFadin even said he was the "best client I ever had" in an interview with the Kansas City Star. "He was punctual, always said he didn't do it, paid in cash and kept coming back…I was the only friend he had. He told me he would pay me whatever I needed to keep him out of jail." No wonder there's a stereotype surrounding lawyers being low-life beings who let criminals get away with anything.  "I was getting paid, and he was always on time! The evidence and witnesses show he did it, but HE said he didn't, so obviously, I believe him," There I fixed it for you, Richard!

The Townsfolk of Skidmore

For the townsfolk of Skidmore, McElroy's assault on Ernest Bowekamp was the final straw. McElroy had been a plague on the town for over two decades and kept getting away with it. Bowenkamp's daughter, Cheryl Huston, told the New York Times, "We were so bitter and so angry at the law letting us down that it came to somebody taking matters into their own hands. No one has any idea what a nightmare we lived."

On July 10th, 1981, the Skidmore townsfolk gathered and met with the Nodaway County sheriff to discuss the horrific situation with McElroy. The sheriff suggested they form a neighborhood watch and refrain from confronting McElroy, but the people of Skidmore had other plans.

Once the sheriff left, the group walked down to the local tavern where McElroy was having a morning drink with his underaged wife. As McElroy left the bar, the mob followed and surrounded his truck to confront the monster in human form. Soon after, shots rang out.

Amongst the massive crowd, it was impossible to see who had shot McElroy. He was struck with two separate firearms and bled out behind the wheel of his truck.

"Mum's the Word" in Skidmore

The people of Skidmore had put up with McElroy's violence, thievery, abuse, and intimidation for so long that they felt his murder was justified. Of course, law enforcement viewed it differently. Police and the FBI tried to get to the bottom of the murder, but the townsfolk kept their mouths shut. Prosecutor David Baird said, "You could talk to everybody in this case, and they'd give you a different answer. I'm never going to answer that question. It's never going to happen."

Retired Missouri Highway Patrol trooper Richard Stratton stated he understood why the townsfolk needed to take matters into their own hands. "Those were fathers and grandfathers on the street of Skidmore that day. Ordinary, hardworking people. They did what they did because we didn't do our job. Then they went home and kept their mouths shut and kept them closed all these years."

His former "attorney" said, "I know why they didn't talk, they were all glad he was dead. That town got away with murder." It's ironic coming from a dirty attorney with no morals.

Would You Keep Your Lips Shut?

It's obvious that McElroy was a monster, and his murder seems to be justified. If you were in that Skidmore mob, would you keep your mouth shut?