Prosecutor moving on, but mystery of Skidmore bully’s murder remains

[proud2BlibKansan]

Some of you may remember the 1981 murder in broad daylight of the town bully in Skidmore, MO, Kenneth Rex McLeroy. There were 30 witnesses and none would talk. No one was ever arrested for the murder.

There was a book written and a movie made.

The prosecutor on that case has remained in office and was just defeated in the Democratic primary. This is a pretty interesting article and retelling of the murder:

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The story would eventually be told in a New York Times best-selling book and a Hollywood movie. Outsiders — news crews, authors, the merely curious and probably the morbid — flooded to the hamlet of 400.

The story was not so much of a killing. It was of a whole town that refused to talk. The secret.

And that secret would be part of Baird’s life his entire time in office, which will soon end after nearly 30 years.

Ken Rex McElroy, 47, was a big, burly man with bushy sideburns, cold eyes and an ever-present gun. He was the Skidmore bully. On July 10, 1981, on a hot summer morning in a fed-up town, he was shot to death in plain view of 30 to 40 people who gathered around his Chevrolet pickup outside a beer joint on Main Street.



Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/28/2183994/prosecutor-moving-on-but-mystery.html#ixzz0xyRmSMyd

[murielm99]

1. Was it murder? Or was it self-defense by a fed-up town?

One of the law enforcement guys got it right when he said that the failure of law enforcement led to this murder. If law enforcement people had done their jobs, this never would have happened.

This man was an incredible bully. The town had to take things into its own hands. If the townspeople had followed the law, there would have been no justice. If someone had been convicted of killing this bully, there would have been no justice. On rare occasions, this is the only way to get justice.

[Anakin Skywalker]

2. You Got It! +1.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Self-defense - IMO

I followed the story pretty closely at the time and even drive up to Skidmore one day to check out the town. McElroy was the worst bully I have ever heard about. He met his wife when she was 14 and threatened to burn her parents' house down if they didn't agree to let him marry her. He did indeed burn down houses to get what he wanted. He was literally a one man crime spree who had tortured these people in Skidmore for years.

I wonder what happened to his kids. I always felt sorry for them.

[H2O Man]

3. I always thought

that the people in that community acted in self-defense.

[ellie]

5. Thanks for posting that!

It was very interesting and I had never heard of it before.

[hlthe2b]

6. Me either... even though I somewhat know the area...

I would have had a hard time not thinking this self-defense as well. Sigh...Angry drunkard bullies with guns.... How many more will come from the teabagger movement?

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. A very bizarre story indeed

One of the comments was interesting, IMO:

In the pre-24 hour cable/Internet times back then, the only notoriety this case got outside of network news was a made-for-television movie starring a then-unknown Brian Dennehy as the town bully. Today, of course, the Today/GMA/CBS Early Show/MSNBC/Nancy Grace, etc. crowd would be fighting each other to get townspeople to do live-from-the-scene remembrance interviews about McElroy and his 'reign of terror' so much until more sensible members of the town finally persuade at least one of the shooters or witnesses to end the publicity madness and use a good defense attorney to bargain out a no jail and probation manslaughter plea in return for a confession, and make the whole thing go away for good.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/28/2183994/prosecutor-moving-on-but-mystery.html?mi_pluck_action=comment_submitted&qwxq=7316136#Comments_Container#ixzz0y0NFLOfu

[Johnyawl]

9. then-unknown Brian Dennehy? Lmao

By the time Brian Dennehy made the movie based on the McElroy story he'd appeared in over 100 tv episodes and movies, including very noteworthy roles in "Never Cry Wolf", "Cocoon" and "Silverado". He was hardly unknown.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. That's what I thought too

By the time they began filming the movie, I had read the book and the story was still front page news here. I remember people saying he was a perfect cast. If he had been an unknown no one would have praised him getting the role.

[david13]

8. I remember this case, and the book. And discussing it with a

Judge here.
I think the others have posted it all here. The case did not bother me at all.
dc

[KansasVoter]

10. Amazing true story. Fascinating. Old West Justice! Dozens of witnesses, none will talk!

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Nearly 30 years later, it still fascinates me.

We went up to Skidmore one afternoon back in the 80s. Saw the crime scene. It was hard to imagine 30 or 40 people in that little town on that street not seeing a thing.

I also always assumed someone would come forward and talk. Amazing no one has talked.

[KansasVoter]

16. So true! It is hard to get 40 people to stick together!

[PavePusher]

13. Sometimes, when the government is unresponsive to the needs of the people...

...the people remember that they are the government ("by, of and for" ring any bells?) and take the delegated powers back into their possesion temporarily to do things that need to be done.

Welcome to America, land of the brave and the home of the free.


On a side note, it is remarkable how much average people will put up with before resorting to such drastic, but neccesary, measures.

[KansasVoter]

15. I agree with all your points! I hate to say it but Justice was served!

[LisaL]

14. Considering all the things this guy alleged to have done,

I certainly think that it is fitting that whoever killed him got away with it. Really sounds to me like the towns people were pushed to their limit.