This audio transcript is from a BuzzFeed Unsolved episode discussing the murder of Ken Rex McElroy, a notorious criminal from Skidmore, Missouri. The episode explores the complex case, focusing on McElroy's violent history, his relationships, and the circumstances surrounding his murder.
McElroy, born in 1934, was a giant of a man who grew up in a poor tenant farmer family near Skidmore. He was reportedly illiterate and suffered chronic pain due to a head injury from a construction accident. Despite his disability, he was known for his violent behavior and was frequently in trouble with the law. He was allegedly involved in various crimes, including robbery, harassment, assault, and even rape, but managed to avoid conviction due to his skilled lawyer.
McElroy's relationships were also marked by abuse and manipulation. He was accused of marrying two young women to prevent them from testifying against him. He was known to have multiple relationships with minors, and it's alleged that he was abusive to his wives.
Despite his violent history and the fear he instilled in the community, McElroy continued to evade the justice system. However, his reign of terror came to an end on July 10th, 1981, when he was shot dead in broad daylight in Skidmore. The murder happened in the presence of as many as 60 witnesses, but no one came forward to identify the shooter. The suspected shooter, Del Clement, a part-owner of the D and G Tavern, denied the charge. The district attorney and the coroner's jury did not order an arrest warrant or press charges.
The episode ends with the host expressing the prevailing sentiment in the town, which was that the justice system had failed them, and they took matters into their own hands to prevent further harm.
1. The document is about the murder of Ken Rex McElroy, who was shot dead in the street in the small town of Skidmore, Missouri on July 10th, 1981 [Document(page_content="00:00:00.55: (sirens)\n(ominous music)\n00:00:03.80: - This week on BuzzFeed Unsolved,\n00:00:05.39: we investigate the\nmurder of Ken Rex McElroy\n00:00:07.95: in the small town of Skidmore, Missouri.\n00:00:09.81: This case is odd in that\nit deals with the question,\n00:00:11.87: is a murder justified if\nit's seemingly warranted?\n00:00:14.49: What do you think?\n00:00:17.04: - No.\n00:00:17.87: - Why not?\n00:00:19.83: - I don't trust people\to do their homework.\n00:00:22.15: I mean, if you killed everyone\nyou thought was a murderer,\n00:00:25.42: you'd have a lot of innocent\nlives on your hands.\n00:00:27.59: - On a general basis, I\nwill say I agree with you,\n00:00:30.33: but uh, spoiler alert,\nnot a lot of homework\n00:00:33.29: was needed for this fella.\n00:00:34.69: - Okay.\n00:00:35.58: Let's get into it.\n00:00:37.14: - [Ryan] The year is 1981.\n00:00:39.12: The town, Skidmore, Missouri.\n00:00:42.63: A town surrounded by cornfields\nwith only 437 residents.\n00:00:47.07: - I've been to Missouri, lovely state.\n00:00:51.05: Can I say that?\n00:00:51.92: The Ozarks--\n00:00:52.75: - Is this you, yeah, a positive\nstatement to start this off.\n00:00:56.42: - I love Missouri!\n00:00:57.25: I saw a mosquito there that\nwas almost the size of a bird.\n00:01:00.57: - That doesn't seem\nlike something pleasant.\n00:01:02.20: - It was almost so big\nthat it couldn't really\n00:01:04.90: move around too much.\n00:01:06.15: It was not a burden.\n00:01:07.68: It's a beautiful state.\n00:01:09.25: - A lot to unpack there.\n00:01:11.50: - Beautiful state!\n00:01:12.33: - I think we'll just move forward.\n00:01:13.96: Only July 10th, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy\n00:01:16.77: would be shot dead in the\nstreet in broad daylight,\n00:01:20.92: amongst as many as 60 witness.\n00:01:24.63: Yet, to this day, the\ncrime remains unsolved.\n00:01:28.32: How could that be possible?\n00:01:30.27: Let's start from the beginning.\n00:01:32.38: Who was Ken Rex McEl