KANSAS CITY – It was on this day that the so-called "town bully" of Skidmore, Missouri, was shot and killed, a murder that remains unsolved after 44 years.
Ken Rex McElroy was shot and killed in broad daylight as he sat with his wife Trena in his pickup truck on Skidmore's main street on July 10th, 1981.
He was struck by bullets from at least two different firearms, in front of a crowd estimated at over 30 people. Despite the many witnesses, nobody came forward to say who shot him; and to date, no one has been charged in connection with McElroy's death.
Over the course of his life, McElroy was accused of dozens of felonies, including assault, child molestation, statutory rape, arson, animal cruelty, hog and cattle rustling and burglary. But his only conviction was for the attempted murder of the Skidmore town grocer, although McElroy successfully appealed that conviction.
The murder of McElroy led to the publication of the book "In Broad Daylight" and, later, a film by the same name.
