The Strange Unsolved Murder of Ken McElroy | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

welcome to stuff you should know a. production of iHeart. [Music]. 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 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 miners 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 it puts 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 a crime writer called in. broad daylight you know what coming. colon a murder in Skidmore Missouri uh.

there was a documentary just a few years. ago in 2019 called 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's it's okay it's. not it's got like a seven plus on IMDb. that's really saying something yeah. Chuck gives it a six minus okay still. that'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 den and Marsha Gay Harden uh which. I actually I I watched a very bad. YouTube version of it mostly I scrubed. through a little bit of it but it's. actually not terrible for a 1991 TV. movie uh largely because Brian Den is. perfectly cast and awesome yeah he. really is um I don't understand why they. changed the names did did Harry McAn.

change the names for inroad daylight I. didn't read the book but um I don't know. sometimes they do that with TV movies. huh well regardless innocent you know I. um I scrubbed ahead to the last I. probably 30 minutes it's all the good. stuff that's kind of all you need and. you're right Brian Den he was great in. it and Maria Gay Harden did a great job. at the really important Point yeah she's. a tremendous actor as was Den rip Brian. Den so um krex 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. mroy 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. criming 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. year uh years old he was a work in. 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 clear L 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 gay.

yeah exactly and like you said it seemed. like he enjoyed criming from a young age. he was a pretty TW 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. lay about like he was a kind of an. industrious criminal he also trained. hunting dogs uhhuh he um he was 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 Skidway is in. or Skidmore is in nway 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 flush.

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 of 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 he Skidmore. money yeah which is to say oh I hope. there's no skid morans 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 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 he. 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. listen to him yeah um so mcfaden was. so uh was so good at getting him off um. he well actually they worked together. mcfaden was good at getting him off but. it was he he probably wouldn't have been. nearly as successful if Ken mroy hadn't. been um also a very active participant.

in getting himself off yeah he um so. Jean mcfaden would get delay after delay. all these procedural delays to just. really put as much time between the Ken. mooy's arrest and the actual trial date. as possible then Ken mroy would get busy. um intimidating Witnesses and if if it. got closer and closer to trial and a. jury was impanel 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. is 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 Teflon cated 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. ROM he's a farmer spelled exactly like. the lettuce was he named after the.

lettuce cuz 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 the story. yes he absolutely was a romae 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 romae 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 well. liked 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 aliis 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 romae Henry in the. stomach with a shotgun even yeah and. just to make sure that you understand. what kind of person Ken mroy was the. reason that he shot romae Henry in the. stomach was because romae Henry. approached him and said hey will you. please not shoot pheasants out of season. on my land anymore and Kim 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 a highway. patrolman named Richard Stratton hash. hero yeah who had you know plenty of. run-ins obviously with maroy because. 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. ler and rapist yeah I say we take a.

break and then come back and talk about. this all right we'll be right. [Music]. back 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 Wen would. come in and they're overlapping and he's. having kids with most of them and it. gets very confus confusing but uh like.

you said he fathered 10 kids uh a lot of. them were with underage girls uh he got. married for the first time in 1952 when. he was 18 and his wife Oita was. 16 and he it's not like he calmed down. or anything he would uh prey and stalk. and groom girls as young as 12 and 13. years old uh one of which was a. 15-year-old named uh. Sharon and they uh it was sort of a. familiar p 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 threaten 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 cuz 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 McLoud 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. continue to abuse them and then.

eventually would burn down the house of. Trina mccloud'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 are can you tell me all that. one more time and I guess she did and. the doctor called the authorities and. this time um mooy 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 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 was. like oh my God I can't believe I can't. believe this like can you can't 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. Jean. mcfaden in uh 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 l eyes and they lived as.

husband and wife that's right so this is. uh this was his final wife uh young. Trina McLoud uh he apparently got her. parents because you know you needed to. have permission uh to get married at. that age and her parents acques because. he threatened to burn down the new house. that they either bought or built 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 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 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 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 kind of come a little bit to a. head uh they're these local shopkeepers. uh they ran the B&B Grocery there in. town Lois and Ernest uh bo bo and camp. 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 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 them and in. July of that year maroy approached uh bo.

boen Camp 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. bow and Camp were like beloved in the. town oh yeah this is a big deal he had. assaulted an a beloved elderly. shopkeeper. grer um who 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. mention um Richard Stratton the the high. the Missouri highway patrolman who had. run-ins 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 are the 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 going. to 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 Filmore 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 Camp uh this 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 boen camp.

and he got a call saying don't go see. old man boen 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 within 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 makesense I think he was just. trying to shut it all down uh kind of. like with the town Marshall right yeah. so the town Marshall set up 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 an. actual real 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. Dunbar 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 them holds them at gunpoint I. saw for like 20 minutes at the the. punkin Festival yeah not punkin chunkin. no the punkin festival or the Pumpkin. Show that's what I saw it as yeah they. chunked 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 going to 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. maoy in 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 be 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 second degree 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. boing Camp getting caught by the highway. patrol he gets let 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 G 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 DG Tavern. and I'll bring an M1 carbine rifle with. bayonet on me and I'll talk about how. I'm going to use it to finish off Bo. boing 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 son sons who. who went and F like confronted him about.

it and then went and filed the 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. the 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 than we've never had. one. [Music].

so I said that um that uh Ken Mary 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 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. mroy come to the American Legion Hall to. basically go to court with Pete Ward and. Bo Bo and 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 McFadden 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.

eses 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 abing biting 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 their strengthen 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 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 DG Tavern. still morning mind you 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 thumbed. 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 romae 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 DG Tavern but a significant. number of people were and they had Ken. mroy and Trina surrounded in Ken mroy. Silverado um Ken mroy 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 follow 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 wind. shield 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 mhm 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 the documentary again. there were people that were like you. know five or six people shot him three. or four people shot them like everyone. sort of got their own story but as far. as the you know autopsy goes there were. two different calibers of bullets. 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. mroy um no one would say anything some. people were interviewed five to six. times and no one cracked they would not. crack and yet whoever said that they saw. 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 wos um says. that she turned around right before the. shooting started and saw very clearly. Dell Clement owner co-owner of the DG. Tavern um taking aim and shooting Ken. mroy in the head with his deer rifle. yeah he was a um not only a the owner of. the tavern but he had livestock that had. been pilfered apparently was a big.

hotthead and I get the sense took great. pleasure and pulling that trigger uh as. 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 mooy's head in a uh head. somewhere and 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 Brit 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 done well.

she if you read um newspaper accounts. like immediately after 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 towns people that they interviewed. for the same article are like no one. wishes her any ill will 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 been aiming for her she probably. would have gotten hit by a straight. bullet after that second round but um. when she was hustled at the bank there. was like a crowd like you said 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. melroy 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.

prosecutor be uh and the FBI said you. know what 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 how 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 um for any number of reasons.

because they were intimidated because. they were corrupt who knows but that was. like the subx 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 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 MH 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 two years after the The. Killing and she died in 2012 and you. know there there was no mention of that. life of hers and 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 McLoud 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'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 missoui and uh apparently would. like uh buy copies of McLean's book and. have mlan sign them and hand them out to.

all the delegates and 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 because. 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 burn 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 followup on. our what I thought was a really good.

episode that I enjoyed on Kinton guua. mhm and 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. 11:00 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 tenard 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 stuff podcast. iheartradio.com. stuff you should know is a production of. heart radio for more podcasts my heart. radio visit the iHeart Radio app Apple.

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