The killing of Ken Rex McElroy is probably the hottest cold case on record. On the morning of July 10, 1981, when he was sitting on the main street of Skidmore, Missouri, he was shot. Forty-five citizens witnessed the killing. Everyone refused to see the shooter. After three major surveys and an eight-month FBI survey, no one said. Twenty-five years later, no one was still charged with murder.
In December 2006, St. Martins re-released the "Broad White", which described McIlroy's incredible terror rule in northwest Missouri, his killings and consequences. The new ending contains surprising information about the identity of the McIlroy killer and the killing itself.
In the spring of 2006, I gained unprecedented access to the state police and FBI files of the killings. These documents contain a handwritten statement by an eyewitness that confirms McElroy's wife, Del Delment, as the first shooter. The statement also identified the local farmer Gary Dowling as the second gunner for the first time. The statement is detailed and convincing. Interestingly, the next day, accompanied by a lawyer from Del Clemente, witnesses appeared in the sheriff's office and withdrew the statement. This statement, combined with Trena's identification, is a strong evidence of the identity of the shooter.
These documents also dispelled a big myth about killing. The media described Ken McElroy's information as a self-defense killing or an example of law and order justice. My interviews and numerous statements in the paper clearly show that, apart from the two shooters, the men on the street that day were not part of the plan to kill Ken McIlroy. They are involuntary witnesses of murder.
I believe that the killing of Ken Rex McElroy will always be the hottest cold record in the record. No one - not a law enforcement officer, not a family or friend of McIlroy, and certainly not a resident of Skidmore - seems to care that his murderer is still at large. The men on the street were immersed in silence that day, and this silence was not affected by the passage of time or the glare of the spotlight. In their view, although murder may be a sin, Ken McElroy is an indescribable evil to the town and its inhabitants, to young girls and the elderly. Turning those who buy nightmares into a judicial system that has not failed to destroy the community for years will be a greater evil.
I studied in the town for three years while studying this book. When I first arrived, my door slammed shut and a shotgun fell on me. I was bitten by a dog. When I left, I was judging the dance competition in the annual Punkin&Show and selling tickets for the Mother's Day fair at the local Methodist Church. I became very attached to the town and the people, and I kept in touch for years.
As far as I am concerned, my sympathy has always been related to the public. Although I am troubled by a member of a civilized society, the two murderers are still not punished for their crimes. However, I doubt the benefits of prosecuting men. It was difficult for a prosecutor to find a jury of twelve Nodaway County citizens who would convict any McElroy murder. The memories are still strong, the soul is ruthless, and even the young people in the area are well aware of the story of Ken McElroy. When I returned to Skidmore to kill Bobbi Joe Stinnett on the one-year anniversary - the young pregnant housewife was strangled and her child was pulled from her - I asked the two girls they were to Ken McElroy Understanding.
"He is a bad person, bullying a lot of people," said the older of the two.
"He was shot in the town," the young man joined. "It's over there." She pointed to the tavern.
"He is coming," the senior said.
Ken Rex is more than just a small town bully. He intimidated everyone in Northwest Missouri. Even the police and the sentence were scared by him. Perhaps, as the public said, he needs to kill; the main regret seems to be the way he accomplished.
"People who do this should get a medal," one local person told me. "But they should respond in the way they do it." I think, in the vast white, what it means.
Orignal From: In broad daylight - Who killed Ken McElroy?
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