SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Strange Unsolved Murder of Ken McElroy | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

The Murder of Ken Mroy is an example of. the kind of small town justice so well. served that it seems like it's got to be. a movie. And it was a movie, not a very. good one, starring Brian Denah. But the. actual crime came first and it was true. Hence its inclusion on this playlist. At. any rate, the town of Skidmore, Missouri. doesn't play around if they're pushed. too far. You can bet on that. [Music]. Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a.

production of iHeart Radio. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm. Josh, and there's Chuck. And Jerry's. here, too, pushing us around as usual. for this episode of Stuff You Should. Know. >> Our second episode for us of the new. year. And. why didn't we save like a pretty happy. one to get going with? >> I I don't know. I don't know. Probably.

because we knew we were going to be so. bummed out after Jonestown. We needed. something that was a pickme up. And. what's crazy is this story actually is a. pickme up compared to Jonestown. >> Oh boy, that's tough to parse out. So, thank you to Livia for uh diving into. this tough story. And also uh this. episode we want to issue a very big. trigger warning. >> Mhm. >> Uh because in it we are going to talk. about a very bad man uh and some of the. bad things he did which included sexual.

assault and uh some of which were with. with minors. So trigger warning. Know. that going in. There's no way around it. >> Um there's very few stories that have. like a clear-cut villain. Um, and but. this is one of them. >> And the villain who's also the um center. of our story, the person at the center. of our story is a man named Ken Rex. Mroy. >> Yeah. >> Which I mean, all you need to hear is.

that name really, I think, and it kind. of just puts a puts a a weird chill down. your spine that you can't quite identify. yet. >> Yeah. This is a a story that you may. have heard of before. There has there's. no shortage of content about Ken Mroy. >> Uh there was a book written in 1988 by. Harry Mlan, a crime writer called In. Broad Daylight. You know it's coming. colon, a murder in Skidmore, Missouri. Uh there was a documentary just a few.

years ago in 2019 called a documentary. series actually called. >> No One Saw a Thing. >> uh of which I watched the first episode. >> How is it? I didn't get a chance to yet. >> Well, we'll talk about it. It It's It's. okay. >> It's got like a seven plus on IMDb. That's really saying something. >> Yeah, Chuck gives it a six minus. >> Okay. Still, it's not too bad. >> It's okay. I mean, not a ton of light. was shed, so maybe it's cuz if I went. into it blind, it might have been a. little better. >> Gotcha. Uh, but there's also a 1991 TV.

movie starring Brian Denah and Marcia. Gay Harden. Uh, which I actually I. watched a very bad YouTube version of it. mostly. I scrubbed through a little bit. of it, but it's actually not terrible. for a 1991 TV movie. Uh, largely because. Brian Denny is perfectly cast and. awesome. >> Yeah, he really is. Um, I don't. understand why they changed the names. Did Did Harry Mlean change the names for. In Broad Daylight?

>> I didn't read the book, but um I don't. know. Sometimes they do that with TV. movies. >> Huh. Well, regardless, >> the innocent, you know, >> I um I scrubbed ahead to the last. probably 30 minutes. Saw the good stuff. >> That's kind of all you need. >> And you're right, Brian Denhe was great. in it. And Marcia Gay Harden did a great. job at the really important point. >> Yeah, she's a tremendous actor, as was. Deni. RIP Brian Denah. >> So, um, Kenrix Maroy, he was, uh, from. Skidmore, Missouri. That's where this.

story takes place. He was the 15th of 16. kids from what I saw. He was born in. 1934. And you can be the wealthiest person in. your state and have 16 kids and you're. still going to be hard scrabble. >> Sure. >> His dad wasn't the wealthiest person in. the state. So, the Mroys grew up kind of. doing what they they could to make their. own way. And Ken himself, uh, I saw either he.

made it up to age 15 in school, which is. a surprising statistic to me after I. know a little more about him. I also saw. that he was illiterate, which I would. definitely believe more than the fact. that he made it up to age 15 in school. Either way, at a young age, he started. taking up uh crime. You get the. impression not just out of necessity but. also probably out of a certain amount of. pleasure. >> Yeah. And this was um to frame it in the. 1940s. He was born in 34.

>> So by the time he was crimeing it was. the 1940s. Um, one thing we should. mention is, and I'm glad Livia dug this. up, and this is no way excusing any of. his behaviors, but uh, when he was 18, uh, years old, he was a working. construction, and there was an accident. where some very heavy cribbing fell. about 30 ft and hit him in the head. >> Uh, he had a construction helmet, but it. it cut his scalp, so it clearly, you. know, provided minimal protection. and.

he said that he had a steel plate. implanted and had episodes of uh like. blackout episodes and pain throughout. the rest of his life. And it should be. noted that um one common denominator in. many cases of of you know sick people. who do awful things is head injury when. they're younger. >> Uhhuh. >> So that that very well may have been the. case. Again, not excusing anything he. did, but um we're trying to paint a full. picture here. >> He was like a modern-day Phineas Gage. Yeah, exactly. And like you said, it.

seemed like he enjoyed crimeing from a. young age. He was a pretty I mean, this. is before the accident even. He was a a. pretty disturbed young man. >> Yeah. >> Safe to say? >> Yeah, I would say I would definitely. agree with that. Um, but he did do. stuff. He wasn't just like a a layabout. Like he was a kind of an industrious. criminal. He also trained um hunting. dogs. >> Uhhuh. >> He um he was a a dealer of antiques, a.

buyer and seller. >> Mhm. >> But more than anything, he was a cattle. wrestler. Apparently, the year before. his death, uh the county that Skidaway is in or. Skidmore is in, Nawway County. >> Mhm. >> The cattle thefts were six times that of. any other place in the state. It led the. state in cattle thefts and apparently a. lot of that was uh Ken Mroy. He was.

flushed with cash. He he would buy new. cars. He um could support he ended up. having at least 10 kids, could support. them all. Um he he had a lot of money. and all of it essentially was from crime. because he had a tiny little farm and he. wasn't making much if any money off of. that. He was making it from from. stealing. >> Yeah. And when we say he had a lot of. money, it's not the kind of it's not. wealth. He had the kind of money for a.

uh criminal in the 1960s. in Skidmore, Missouri. >> Skidmore money. >> Yeah. Which is to say, oh, I hope. there's no Skid Marian. >> There's a couple hundred of them. >> Well, listening to us. >> Yeah. I just assume the whole town. listens to us anyway. They're probably. so sick of the story. Uh, but he's a. kind of kind of uh money guy that like. he always had like a few grand in his. pocket with a big fat money roll. Yeah.

>> Like that kind of dude. Uh, he was a big. guy. He was like 6'2 or 6'3. >> Had this sort of here again kind of like. Jim Jones men of the time had this jet. black hair and these huge sideburns. He. was imposing uh but he picked on people. smaller than him. I mean, picked on. women and children and young girls and. took advantage of all these people. >> Yeah. >> And he was arrested and charged at least. 21 times uh without being convicted. And. if you're thinking like how in the world.

does that happen when like people know. he's committing crimes, >> he's getting arrested of these. committing these crimes, it's because he. had a very uh I I guess good slippery. attorney named Richard Jean McFaden. Yeah. who is supposedly a mob attorney. in Kansas City. And upon their first. meeting, he was like, "You can't afford. me." And Maroy said, "Let me be the. judge of that." Pulled out that big, you. know, fat roll from his pocket,

>> threw it on the desk, and McFaden was. delighted to have him as a cash paying. client who listened to him. >> Yeah. Um, so McFaden was so uh was so. good at getting him off. Um he well. actually they worked together. McFaten. was good at getting him off but it w he. he probably wouldn't have been nearly as. successful if Ken Mroy hadn't have been. um also a very active participant in. getting himself off.

>> Yeah. He um so Gan McFaden would get. delay after delay, all these procedural. delays to just really put as much time. between the Ken Moyy's arrest and the. actual trial date as possible. And then. Ken Moy would get busy um intimidating. witnesses and if if it got closer and. closer to trial and a jury was impanled, he would intimidate the jurors. He would. threaten their lives. He would threaten. the lives of their families. He would. threaten to burn their houses down. He.

would threaten to kill them. He would. threaten um not just with words. He. would intimidate them by parking in. their driveways, by um brandishing guns. at them, by shooting guns in the air. sometimes in the night outside of their. house. Like just it would take a couple. of these for the average person to be. like, I can't. This is not what I've. signed up for. This guy's scaring me to. death. Some people lasted longer than. others, but most of the time, almost in.

every single time, eventually he would. intimidate enough of the witnesses that. the cases would fall apart. And that is. how he became uh what Crime Library. referred to as this tefloncoated hick. >> Yeah, absolutely. Like he shot a guy in. the stomach in July of 1976, a guy named. uh Roma Henry. And yes, you heard me. right. He's a farmer. >> spelled exactly like the lettuce. >> Was he named after the lettuce? Because.

was he a lettuce farmer? >> I don't know. Did they farm lettuce in. Missouri? >> They did in Yuma, Arizona. >> I think just for the sake of uh this. story, yes, he absolutely was a Roma. lettuce farmer. His parents raised him. to be one. >> and named him after that lettuce. So, he. was shot in the stomach with a shotgun. Uh was not killed. >> and uh got away with it. He, you know, in in the documentary, like Roma Henry. pulls up his shirt and he's like, "Here's where he shot me.". >> And court witnesses, uh, he, you know,

like you said earlier, he was, uh, one. of his side hustles was, uh, raising and. training and selling hunting dogs. >> And he was wellliked by some people, like the the people that he dealt with. with these hunting dogs. Other crimey. type people liked him. So he had this. stable of dudes that would go to court. and testify on his behalf and provide. him with alibis and say like he didn't. shoot him in the stomach. He was with us. uh at the time of the shooting. So he. got away with shooting Roma Henry in the.

stomach with a shotgun even. >> Yeah. And just to make sure that you. understand what kind of person Ken Moy. was, the reason that he shot Roma Henry. in the stomach was because Roma Henry. approached him and said, "Hey, will you. please not shoot feeasants out of season. on my land anymore?" And Ken Mroy. responded by shooting him in the stomach. because he told him basically to stop. shooting birds illegally on that man's. land. >> Yeah. Uh didn't matter who you were. Uh. there was a a cop even uh highway.

patrolman uh named Richard Stratton. >> #h hero. >> Yeah. Who had, you know, plenty of. run-ins obviously with Maroy cuz like. you said, this is a a town of, you know, a few hundred people at the time, I. think. >> Yep. >> Maybe like four or 500 even. >> Uh so everyone knew this guy, including. uh obviously Richard Stratton. And he. had a bunch of run-ins. Uh and so Maroy. started threatening his home and his. family. Uh, one day his wife Margaret. was on her way to church. She got in the.

car to go to church and Maroy walks up. to the car, puts a shotgun in her face. And he did that to to cops wives. He did. it to judges. The county magistrate, Montgomery Wilson, uh, was so fearful. that he wouldn't take these cases. He. would have them move to other nearby. counties. Like, he was uh, people called. him the town bully, but that is the the. kindest way to describe him because he. was also a child molester. and rapist. >> Yeah, I say we take a break and then.

come back and talk about this. >> All right, we'll be right back. [Music]. All right. So, when we left off, I uh I. leveled a pretty serious allegation uh.

which is absolutely true that Ken Maroy. was a child molester and rapist and and. this is 100% true. Uh the story gets. very twisted and convoluted here, but um. it's kind of hard to follow along. because he was married and then had a. girlfriend and a wife at the same time, but then another one and then another. one would come in and they're. overlapping and he's having kids with. most of them and it gets very confusing. But uh like you said, he fathered 10. kids. Uh a lot of them were with.

underage girls. M. >> uh he got married for the first time in. 1952 when he was 18 and his wife Alita. was 16 and he it's not like he calmed. down or anything. He would uh pray and. stalk and groom girls as young as 12 and. 13 years old. Uh one of which was a. 15year-old named uh Sharon. And they uh. it was sort of a familiar pattern where. he would. >> he would groom and stalk these young.

teenage girls. He would abuse them. He. would rape them and threaten them with. death and somehow end up with them and. not not somehow through coercion and. threat and intimidation. >> Yeah. Um, and he would get so he would. be married already and like you said, he'd be stalking and raping and abusing. some other younger girl at the same time. and then um, inevitably when charges. were about to be brought against him. because of his um, like rape and abuse.

and and in one case shooting of one of. the girls um, he would he would convince. them to marry him. he would go to his. wife and be like, "We have to get. divorced because I got to marry this. girl so that she won't testify against. me." And he would be successful. And if. if um they they refused at first, he. would use those same tactics that he. used to intimidate witnesses to. intimidate these girls into marrying him. and becoming his wife. And then,

astoundingly, he would go find a younger. girl and start the whole thing over. again. Like this guy got married more. than once to keep the girl that he was. raping from testifying against him. because back then a wife couldn't. testify against her husband. >> Yeah. So, I mean, we don't need to get. into every single one of those details, but suffice it to say, this was. happening over and over and over. remarkably. Uh sometimes, you know, obviously these these girls' parents. would uh put up a fight and get involved.

and he would intimidate and threaten. them uh to the point where uh at one. point he and this is the the wife he had. sort of when the final incident went. down. >> Uh Trina Mloud who he got together with. this is just so sick when she was 12 or. 13 year uh years old was like picking. her up from the school bus. >> Yeah. and school officials were like, "Something's going on with this creep.". No one ever did anything. Got her. pregnant at 14 and moved her into the.

house he shared with the previous young. girl that he was with. Uh so he had a. son uh with Trina in 1973. and a couple of others with this young. girl, Alec, uh Alice, and went to. Trina's parents' house. Um they. obviously are are saying like, "You. can't keep our daughter like this." and. he held them back at gunpoint, brought. the girls back, continued to abuse them, and then eventually would burn down the.

house of Trina Mloud's parents and shoot. and kill their family dog. >> Yeah. >> Is he a bad enough guy at this point? >> Right, >> dear listener? Apparently he um some. somehow Trina ended up being treated by. a doctor somewhere or other and the. doctor got the story out of her and the. doctor was like wait can you tell me all. that one more time and I guess she did. and the doctor called the authorities. and this time um Maroy was in a lot of. trouble and they took Trina to child.

services and took her to a family foster. a foster family and he started stalking. the foster family and stalking ing their. biological kids and threatening to rape. and kill them. And that foster family. would not give in. They were protecting. Trina. Up until the time Trina's like, "All right, I forgive you. I'm going. back to you." And I'm sure that foster. family is like, "Oh my god, I can't. believe. >> Yeah. >> I can't believe this. Like, can you make. that decision?" And she did. Um, and he.

got away with it yet again because he. got her to marry him to keep her from. being able to even testify against her. and Gene McFaden. in a show of just how sleazy lawyers can. be. Um served as the witness to their. wedding. I think she was 15 at the time. And uh at the end of the ceremony got. her to sign a document saying all the. things she told that doctor were lies. and they lived as husband and wife. >> That's right. So this is uh this was his.

final wife. Uh young Trina Mloud. Uh he. apparently got her parents cuz you know. you needed to have permission uh to get. married at that age and her parents. acquies because he threatened to burn. down the new house that they either. bought or built. Mhm. >> Uh, and this is where I I get to the. documentary, like a lot of it should be. taken with a grain of salt because some. of the local towns people they interview. are are clearly sort of uh just maybe. don't have all the facts straight. because someone in that documentary said.

that he burned their house down again. and shot their other new dog. And I. didn't see anywhere else where that. happened. I think it was just a threat. or whatever. >> He killed a monkey, too. >> Right. >> That's what I heard the deal with the. documentary. Uh, so this is this is. going on. He's terrorizing this town. Everyone knows he's an awful guy. He's. uh just it can't be overstated what an. awful um. creep that he is. Uh, and I mean creep.

isn't even that's way too soft to. describe a guy like this. >> Uh, finally in 1980. he he sort of pushes his luck as Livia. would would call this section. Uh things. have kind of come a little bit to a. head. Uh there are these local. shopkeepers. Uh they ran the B&B grocery. there in town, Lois and Ernest uh Bo. Bowen Camp. >> Mhm. >> And they uh apparently his, you know, his kids would go in there and shoplift. all the time, his very young kids. And.

one of his young daughters, uh her name. was uh Tonia or Tanya, I'm not sure how. that's pronounced. T N I A. >> Tanya uh was like four years old and was. stealing candy from the store. Uh they. confronted this young girl and of course. Maroy wouldn't stand for that. So he. starts up with his usual routine parking. outside their store, staring them down, brandishing a shotgun and carrying it. around with him. And in July of that. year, Maroy approached uh Bo Bowenamp,

the the grocery store owner. They had a. brief conversation and he shot this. 70-year-old man through the neck. Uh. again, not killing him, but wounding. him. >> Yeah. And so Bo and um Lois Bowen camp. were like beloved in the town. >> Oh yeah, >> this is a big deal. He had assaulted an. a beloved elderly shopkeeper grosser. um who fed the town and um even Mroy.

knew it was a big deal. He fled. He. tried to get out of the state. And you. mentioned um Richard Stratton, the the. high the Missouri highway patrolman who. had runins over and over and over again. with Ken Mroy. >> Well, he was out on patrol that night. when that happened or that day, I guess. And he got the All Points Bulletin to be. on the lookout for Ken Mroy. And at the. time, the sheriff's office, the rest of. the highway patrol, they were setting up. roadblocks looking on every highway that.

they could for Ken Mroy. But Richard. Stratton said, "No, I know this guy. He's got a police scanner. He knows. exactly where they are. He's gonna take. every back road he can find to get to. Kansas and get out of the state and lay. low for a while." And Richard Stratton. said, "I know he's going to have to go. through Filillmore, Missouri to get to. Kansas, and I'm going to stake that. place out." And in short order, Ken. Maroy came driving through in his. Silverado with Trina in the the seat, and he ended up getting busted by. Richard Strat, and he was caught. And. this again,

>> even he knew this one was a big deal. >> Yeah. Yeah. He he he finally was taken. into custody. Uh this time he I don't. know if he just had it instinct that. there was probably no way out of this. one. Uh but he hired his trusty lawyer. again, McFaden, who said, "All right, let's move this thing to Harrison County. first of all, and here's our plan is. we're going to say that this was a. dispute with Bowen." uh this uh this. sort of argument you guys had over your. daughter stealing and that he pulled a.

knife on you and that it was. self-defense and you were you were. forced to do that. Uh he was still using. his you know typical playbook. intimidation uh tactics on the Bowen. camps but they refused to budge which. was great. Uh so that was their that was. their defense. Um we should also mention. while this is going on he continues his. reign of terror on the town. There's a. there was a Christian church uh whose. minister was Tim Warren and uh if you.

don't know anything about um sort of. small town actually probably even larger. town ministers part of their job they. don't just get up there and preach on. Sundays uh is they have to minister to. the congregation in their community. So. they will do things preachers and. ministers will like come and check in on. people if they're sick. They will visit. people in the hospital if they're. injured or you know or having some. troubles. And this is what Tim Warren. was doing when he checked in on uh or. had planned to check in on Lois Bowen. camp. And he got a call saying, "Don't.

go see old man Bowen camp. It's going to. be bad news for you." He did it. undercover by borrowing a friend's truck. and going in that. But got a call was. like, "Hey, I knew that that was you. there with in your friend's truck. Nice. try. Uh and if you do this again, I'm. going to rape and murder your wife.". >> Yeah. So the the the reverend, the local. reverend, Reverend Lovejoy, is just told. that his wife is going to be raped and. murdered, right? >> That's right. >> I didn't get what the point of that was.

Did you? I didn't see any interpretation. of that. I just saw it explained or. described. I never saw it explained. >> Well, I think just anyone uh sort of on. the Bowen camp side uh because who. knows? Like the reverend could have been. called to testify or something. Who. knows? >> I got you. That makes sense. I think he. was just trying to shut it all down. Uh. kind of like with the town marshal, right? >> Yeah. So the town marshall, nice setup. David Dumbar was 24 at the time. And if.

you were town marshall of Skidmore, you. um not only had to call the sheriff when. there was actual real trouble because. you weren't really allowed to do. anything. You had to provide your own. gun. The city would pay for your. ammunition, but you had to provide your. own gun. And David Dunar was like,"I. don't even care about this job. I I took. this job because I wanted to win a bet. that I had with my buddy for a case of. beer, right?". >> And so in short order, he gets pulled. into this whole thing um by uh Ken Mroy,

who pulls a gun on him, holds him at. gunpoint, I saw for like 20 minutes at. the the pumpkin festival. >> Yeah. Not pumpkin chunking. >> No, the pumpkin festival or the pumpkin. show. That's what I saw it as. >> Yeah. They chunk. No punks. >> Yes. No. Um, but uh, David Dumbar, David Dumbar did say like, "That's it. for me, man. I I really didn't care that. much about this job anyway. You I'm not. gonna stand up to Ken Mroy. You guys. need to find yourself another another. marshall." And they said, "Fine, we.

will." And then they couldn't. So, the. town was without a marshall even for a. little while. >> They probably didn't need one. >> I mean, it doesn't sound like it was. very effective as positions go. And. also, the other thing I said, they need. to call the sheriff. I saw someone. intimate that the sheriff may not have. either taken Ken Moy and the trouble he. caused seriously or he may have been a a. a friend or a sympathetic ally or. something to Ken Mroy because apparently. he was not super responsive to Ken Mroy.

trouble calls. >> You know, he was interviewed in this. documentary. He certainly didn't seem sympathetic. He. might have been intimidated as well. >> Yeah, I guess that's possible. I I I. wouldn't blame him, frankly. >> So, this takes more than a year or I'm. sorry, close to a year to come to trial. because of all the delays that you know, McFaden, that's his game. >> Uh, finally, it does, and there is. another green, like almost everyone in. this story seems like they were like. very young at the time. >> Yeah.

>> Uh, the prosecutor, his name was David. Baird. He was a super young attorney. He. was the county prosecutor, uh, so named. just a few months earlier. And all of a. sudden, this kid is charged with. prosecuting the case. Uh he convicted. him of seconddegree assault and. sentenced him to two years in jail. >> And this was the very first conviction. after this yearslong reign of terror on. this town that he faced. Uh of course. McFaden appealed. The judge said, "You're out on $40,000 bail." And Bar.

said, "Oh, sounds fine to me.". >> Yeah. So, like after shooting Bo Bowen. camp, getting caught by the highway. patrol, he gets led out on $40,000 bond, which he probably paid uh his bail in in. cash from his pocket. >> And the town was like, "You've got to be. kidding me." Like, you let this guy. free. Okay, we will we'll hang in there. Um we're just going to ride this out. And almost immediately, Ken Maroy was.

like, "How can I get my bond revoked?" I. know. I'll go show up at the local. tavern in Skidmore, the D&G tavern, and. I'll bring a M1 carbine rifle with. bayonet on me, and I'll talk about how. I'm going to use it to finish off Bo. Bowen camp in front of everybody in the. bar. And that's exactly what he did. And. there just happened to be a couple of. brave souls. One of them was Pete Ward. I think it was he and his um sons who. who went and f like confronted him about. it and then went and filed a complaint.

and said, "This guy needs his bond. revoked." and a bond hearing was set up. 10 days from then and that set up all of. the minations that were now going to. bring this story to its climax. Is it. time for a ad break? Have we had our. second one? >> I mean, if that's not a perfect setup. for an ad break, then we've never had. one. [Music].

So, I said that um that uh Ken Maroy has. basically just brandished an arm. He's. walking around town talking about he's. going to finish off the guy he's been. now convicted of assaulting. Um, but. he's out on bail and uh Pete Ward and. his sons go file a complaint and a bond.

hearing to see if his bond should be. revoked is set up for 10 days. And those. 10 days pass and on the 10th day, the. day of his bond hearing, uh, a group of. farmers around town who have just had it. up to here with Ken Moy. come to the American Legion Hall to. basically go to court with Pete Ward and. Bo Bowen camp and show solidarity, but. also show that these guys are protected. You better not mess with them. >> Yeah, absolutely. Uh, by most accounts, it was most of the adults in the town.

were at this American Legion Hall. meeting. Uh, I think there were like a. little over a hundred adults maybe. living there and it seemed like 80 of. them were at this American Legion Hall. meeting. >> Yeah, there was a lot of people there. So they find out there that McFaden had. gotten that hearing delayed, that bond. hearing uh delayed for 10 more days. >> So instead of July 10th, it's going to. be July 20th. Uh they called the. sheriff, Danny Estie's in that we talked.

about and he basically said, you know, there's nothing that we can do about it. Um and this is where I think that maybe. I don't think he was friendly to Maroy. I think he was just a law-abiding. abiding sheriff that was like, you know, what do you want to do? Like, go kill. this guy in the street. Like, we can't. do that. >> All we can do is keep tabs on this guy. and, you know, stick together is. probably a good idea. So, they said. that's a great idea. We should form a. large group and and stalk him, follow.

him around. There's strength in numbers. If we get enough of us together, like. what's this guy going to do? Kill all of. us? >> Right. Um there are some people that. were at this meeting that was like you. know no one was talking about doing. anything more than that. Other people. said yeah there were some people that. were so you know uh pissed off about all. this they were like we need to take. matters into our own hands vigilante. style. >> And they found out uh at this meeting. that he's back in town uh with his wife.

They went to the tavern, the uh D&G. tavern. Still morning, mind you. And. they're in there drinking. And uh they. all go down there. They walk in there as. a group and fill this tavern about 50 to. 60 people. And it's clear what's going. on. Uh Maroy would not be intimidated. He he did leave, but he apparently just. sort of thumbmed his nose in their. faces, bought a six-pack to go, and was. like, you know, let's get out of here,

Trina. and walked out. >> Yeah. So, this crowd was like, "Okay, I. kind of like this following this guy. around, watching his every step thing, and they actually walked out of the bar. with him." And supposedly there was. between 30 and 60 people. Some people. had cleared out. Roma Henry, whom he'd. shot in the stomach before, um, said. that he sensed that this crowd was. possibly out for blood and he didn't. want to have anything to do with it. So, he left. So, not everybody who was in. the VFW hall or the American Legion Hall.

was in the parking lot of the D&G. Tavern, but a significant number of. people were and they had Ken Mroy and. Trina surrounded in Ken Moy Silverado. Um, Ken Moy apparently uh had the car. turned on, still had it in park. Uh he. pulled out a cigarette and I saw that he. either just had just lit it or was about. to light it when somebody shot him in.

the head with a high-powered hunting. rifle and then followed that up with a. shot to the neck with Trina right next. to him who was suddenly covered in his. blood. >> Yeah. Through the back windshield of the. pickup truck. >> Uh I imagine instantly killed him with. that first shot. uh his foot slams on the gas and this. thing is revving at like full boore. This old truck. >> starts smoking and eventually blows the. engine and it just goes silent. Uh Trina.

apparently uh urinated herself, was. initially told to stay in the car or she. would be killed too. >> And then gets hustled out of this truck. uh into a nearby bank and a bunch of. more shooting happens. uh until the. shooting stops. Uh it's about 20 seconds. worth of shooting. People go up, peek in. this truck. Maroy is is hunched over. Uh. no one helps the guy at all. And in the. end, they figure out he was hit by uh.

two different uh bullet types. So, two. different guns had actually made contact. with his body. Uh two different bullets. So, uh, you know, in in the documentary. again, there were people that were like, you know, five or six people shot him. Three or four people shot him. Like, everyone sort of got their own story, but as far as the, you know, autopsy. goes, there were two different calibers. of bullet. >> Yeah. Because here's the twist to this. whole story. We don't know. At the very.

least, the law can't say who killed Kim. Maroy. There were between. 30 to 60 people who were standing right. there when he was killed from several. feet away and no one saw a thing. The. town circled the wagons and clammed up. to this day. >> Yeah, they they the town fully cleared. out right after that and like he was. just sitting there alone in the middle. of town dead in his truck. Uh,

apparently they like went into some. local businesses and this one woman in. the documentary said, "We were just sort. of hanging out in there and someone came. in and said, "It's over. You can sleep. tonight now. Just stand behind us.". >> Yeah. And they did, man. I mean, they. they did the the the law I saw, depending on who you ask, the law took. this very seriously, like any other. murder, and investigated and tried to. prosecute it. Um, others are like, "Yeah, the local law didn't try that. hard because everybody knew that this.

was actually justice, even though it was. a grotesque form of justice.". >> Yeah. >> Um, either way, no one was ever. prosecuted. No one was even ever um uh. arrested or charged with the murder of. Ken Mroy because the not not a single. witness would crack. There was. apparently one witness who shortly after. said that they saw a man named Dell. Clement and another man speed off very. quickly right after the shooting. Um,

and that person apparently said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I was mistaken." That's the. closest the cops got to a witness um. statement about who may have shot Ken. Moy. Um, no one would say anything. Some. people were interviewed five to six. times. Yeah. >> And no one cracked. They would not. crack. And yet, whoever said that they. saw Dell Clement speed off, was probably. telling the truth because Trina, um, uh,

Ken's wife, who by this time is 24 and. looks a lot like somebody who would have. been friends with Eileen Warnos, um, says that she turned around right before. the shooting started and saw very. clearly Dell Clement, owner, co-owner of. the D&G Tavern, um, taking aim and. shooting Ken Mroy in the head with his. deer rifle. Yeah, he was a um not only. the owner of the tavern, but he had. livestock that had been pilferred. Apparently was a big hothead, and I get.

the sense took great pleasure in pulling. that trigger. Uh is the sense I got. Uh. there was a lady in the documentary, and. again, this is the grain of salt, that. said that the the main gun was thrown in. a river. Uh so I was like, "Oh, very. interesting. I hadn't heard that. anywhere else." But she also said right. after that she heard that they had uh. Maroyy's head in a uh head somewhere in. a freezer thing. So they couldn't do like more I guess.

bullet ballistics work or whatever. >> Yeah. You couldn't find it because it. was stolen by a monkey. >> Yeah. I I don't think that happened. There was another guy in there named. Britt Small and I get the feeling they. just kind of gathered up whoever was. still around and was like, you know, talk to me. And Brit was a local guy, a. Vietnam veteran who was like, "You know. what? The only mistake they made is that. they let Trina live. I would have killed. him in his driveway. I would have. ambushed them both, killed her and him. and burned his house down. That's what I. would have Well, she if you read um.

newspaper accounts like immediately. after the Kansas City Star had a couple. of articles like the week after um like. she's scared to death or she sounded. scared to death that she was going to be. next or that her kids were going to be. murdered. >> And then of course the town's people. that they interview for the same article. are like no one wishes her any ill will, right? Um you know she's not in any. danger but she swore that she was told. to stay out of Skidmore. Don't ever come. back. um or else she was going to get it. and her kids would be after that. It's I.

I don't know. It probably just depends. on which town person you talk to. >> I mean, both things can be true. They. could have felt like she was a victim. But also, please leave. >> Yeah. Exactly. And apparently when she. was hustled off to the bank, >> whoever did that saved her life because. even if they hadn't have been aiming for. her, she probably would have gotten hit. by a stray bullet after that second. round. But um when she was hustled at. the bank, there was like a crowd, like. you said, of people there that seemed to. be just sitting there watching. Like. people knew what was about to happen or. what was going down. And she said they. didn't need to do them like that. And.

someone said they they had no choice. So. um even if you didn't agree with that. that mob justice that had taken place. and you were a Skidmore resident, at the. very least, you weren't about to turn on. your your you know, fellow towns people. Certainly not for the the likes of. somebody like Ken Mroy or Trina. >> Yeah. And in the end, you know, they. couldn't with only Trina's word, there. was nothing they could do. That young uh. prosecutor Baird uh and the FBI said,

you know, this is all we've got. We. can't move forward. Everyone else is. saying they don't know what happened. Uh. the FBI closed their investigation on. September 2nd, 1982. And uh I believe the sheriff Oh, I'm. sorry, the police chief, Howal Riddle, >> uh was running the investigation. And he. said, you know, he he was really trying. to get this case to go to trial because. he's he is a law enforcement officer and. they weren't all like great mob justice. You know, they were like, we we should.

have handled it uh to begin with, right, but you certainly can't handle it this. way. And he said it was the most. frustrating case of his career and. basically like this town got away with. murder. >> Yeah. And if the local law enforcement. didn't work hard enough, that was part. for the course. Because if there was any. um theme to this, aside from this. horrible bully, it was the local. institutions failing the community time. after time after time after time. Yeah. >> Um for any number of reasons, because. they were intimidated, because they were.

corrupt, who knows? But that was like. the subtext of this whole thing is that. this community. >> essentially had to take matters into. their own hands or or else this guy was. going to eventually kill somebody. Yeah. >> And they just decided that that was not. going to happen. They were going to stop. it before it happened. So, um it's tough. to fault them for for what they did. Even though I don't agree with that, I I. I still I understand why they did it. Well, I think you can not agree with mob. justice and also say the town of.

Skidmore and the world was probably. better off without this child rapist. walking around. >> Yeah. No, you're right. I I like I like. your theories. I'm going to subscribe to. your newsletter. >> Uh so, as for Clement, the supposed one. of the supposed shooters, uh he he never. said a thing about it. Uh he died in. 2009. Uh Trina in 1985 filed a wrongful. death civil case against the mayor uh. Clement and the sheriff for 5 million.

bucks. Uh settled for 17,600. >> Mhm. >> Um the defendants didn't have to admit. to any wrongdoing. They just wanted it. to go away. Uh she got remarried in uh a. couple years before that in 1983. So 2. years after the the killing. And she. died in 2012. And you know there there. was no mention of that life of hers in. her obituary. I think she really put it. behind her. And I I hope at some point.

you know there are interviews with her. That's the one interesting thing about. the doc like uh not too long after their. interviews with Trina Mloud. >> Mhm. >> Um I I would hope that at some point she. realized that she was a victim. >> Yeah. I hope so too. >> And came to on that. But who knows? Um. >> because I mean you you there there's a. there there's a certain amount of like. grudging admiration you have for at the. very least it's like man. >> this girl is so twisted. She was like a. really ardent defendant of her husband's.

reputation and and honor and memory um. and like really went would she was. really like mad that they had killed. him. >> Yeah. Um, one other detail I saw was. that she um offered a $5,000 reward for. the for information about who who killed. them, somebody to come forward, but she. didn't have $5,000. She was putting it. up against the movie rights she presumed. she would eventually be paid for. >> Oh, interesting. >> Yeah. So, I'm not sure. I don't think.

anybody would have take the five grand. anyway, but certainly not a Phantom five. grand that didn't actually exist yet. >> Yeah. Uh, as for the attorney, he was. always like, he was never like, "Oh, you. know, I really regret representing that. dirt bag, >> right?". >> He was pretty proud of his work. Uh, he. had a long career as a lobbyist, uh, working in the legislature there in. Missouri and, uh, apparently would like, uh, buy copies of Mlan's book and have. Mlan sign them and hand them out to all.

the delegates in the state senate. Uh, he died in 2012. Uh, like I said, very. proud of his work. And, uh, Stratton, the highway patrolman that we mentioned, was was the guy who, uh, in an interview. said, you know, they did what they did. cuz we didn't do our job. And, >> yeah, >> I think he felt forever bad that the law. enforcement had failed that town. >> Yeah. He also said in that same. interview, he knew for sure who did it, and he wasn't ever going to say, >> I think it was Clement. I just don't. know who the second shooter was. The the.

guy that says he would have. >> killed them both and burned their house. down claims that he knew the second. shooter, but he wasn't saying either. >> Yeah. You uh you got anything else? >> I got nothing else. >> Quite a story. >> Yeah, >> man. Uh yeah. Thanks. And thanks Olivia. for helping us with it. And since Chuck. said good pick, that means of course. it's time for a brand new listener mail. >> That's right. Uh, this is a follow-up on. our what I thought was a really good. episode that I enjoyed on Kinton Grua.

>> Mhm. >> In the Grand Canyon River Speed Record. >> Mhm. >> Uh, great episode on that, guys. I read. the book a few years ago. And to answer. a question you had about the 11 p.m. start time, as I recall, you're correct. in their desire to employ the cover of. darkness. There was also another. probably more important issue that led. to that decision. Uh per my recollection. of the book, it was the timing of when. they would run into the rapids where. they eventually uh swamped the boat. It. was a stretch they had expected would be. the crux of the trip. As you pointed.

out, Kitten and his team were tenured. river rats uh who knew all the river. like the back of their hand. Uh however, the unique dynamics of the unprecedented. CFS uh meant that they were uncertain of. exactly how fast they would be moving. By starting when they did, they were. able to more or less ensure that section. of the river where they flipped would be. squarely in the middle of the day. A. good worst case scenario and good. pre-planning. And that's from Noah. That sounds like a. very reasonable assertion. >> Yeah. Thanks a lot, Noah. I'm not going.

to challenge him on it. >> Heck no. Um. Yeah. Okay. Well, if you want to be like. Noah and be like, "Hey, I got you guys. You have a question? I'm a Noah." Then. get in touch with us. Do it like Noah. did. Do everything like Noah did. Send. us an email to stuffodcast@. iheartradio.com. Stuff you should know is a production of. iheartradio. For more podcasts iHeart. Radio, visit the iheartradio app, Apple. podcasts, or wherever you listen to your.

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