What appears to be old city hall in what appears to be a ghost town. Photo by Lacey and Troy’s Weird Adventures
We were sitting around discussing bullies one day and someone told us a story in our own state that gained national headlines. It’s the story of Ken Rex Mcelroy, the bully that eventually got dealt with by the townspeople that finally had enough and watched him murdered in the street in broad daylight. But even with all the witnesses that were known to be there, not one person “seen” who did it. It went on to be a book titled In Broad Daylight, a movie of the same title starring Brian Dennehy and countless true crime show episodes. In a town of 284 people you’d think violent crime ends there right? Not exactly…..
Ken Rex McElroy, the bully that used violence and excessive force to do anything he wanted. Photo by unknown
In Nodaway County the crime rate is only half the state of Missouri’s average. But one town in that county, Skidmore likes its crimes when it happens to be of the high profile, call every true crime author and tv show and gain national attention style. The crimes are gruesome, the details are grisly and the crime scenes are right out of forensic files most horrifying episodes. We loaded up Elvira(our car) and headed 138 miles to Skidmore, MO to see what kind of place we were reading about. The crimes are as follows below.
Entering Skidmore, it looked like most small towns….until just past this sign. Photo by Lacey and Troy’s Weird Adventures
As we entered what looked like our first stop on the Murdertown USA tour we noticed a dying town full of decay, houses falling in, businesses that died before the internet came along and one open establishment…..a steak house and bar called Good Time Charlie’s that had one car outside. On Facebook it looks like it has great food and is a decent watering hole. If we hadn’t just ate lunch we’d probably have went in. Outside the one car the entire town was dead silent. Zero traffic. Zero people. I heard a lawn mower somewhere in the distance but it was mostly eerily quiet. Our first stop was the crime scene where Ken Rex McElroy was murdered. It still stands as a metal shed that was once the D & G Tavern, now seems just used as storage or something similar.
Formerly the D & G Tavern where the bully of Skidmore was dealt with despite many witnesses, no one seen the shooter. Photo by Lacey and Troy’s on Weird Adventures
The town stayed quiet after McElroy’s murder for 19 years. Then the devil was in the details on crimes that shook the town and caused national coverage. And it seemed particularly hard on one family especially. The first such crime happened on October 16, 2000 when Greg Dragoo beat and drug Wendy Gillenwater down several country roads and all around Skidmore behind his car before cutting her loose where she was found in front of her house. Dragoo is currently serving a life sentence in Cameron. We went to Skidmore’s cemetery and paid our respects to Wendy. The cemetery was well maintained which was shocking considering how bad the town appearance is.
Wendy Gillenwater’s grave just outside Skidmore in a beautiful cemetery. Photo by Lacey and Troy’s Weird Adventures
I’m certain that was a trying time for Jo Ann Stinnett after losing her granddaughter. It seems the devils work wasn’t finished in Skidmore. Jo Ann had a grandson Branson Perry age 20, that went missing on April 11, 2001. He was last seen in his house at 304 West Oak. With his father hospitalized he had a friend named Gena in the house with him. Two men were in the driveway fixing the alternator on his his hospitalized father’s car. Branson told Gena he needed to run some jumper cables to a shed next to the house. At around 3 PM that would be the last time Branson Perry would ever be seen again. Neither the two men outside or Gena were able to give any clues as to what happened to him. The case details are strangely bizarre and I highly recommend reading about this case.
The house Branson Perry was last seen before disappearing forever. Photo by Lacey and Troy’s Weird Adventures
Over 100 people were spoken with about Branson Perry’s disappearance. Other than people saying he experimented with drugs the investigation wasnt able to turn much up. In 2003 police arrested Jack Wayne Rogers(also worth reading about) who was a 59 year old Presbyterian Minister and Boy Scout leader on charges of child pornography and obscenity. He was also charged with first degree assault and forging practice of a medical license after botching a transgender genital reassignment. After seizing all his hard drives and computers they found on some chat boards that he admitted practicing cannibalism and that he buried a boy whose description matched that of Branson in the Ozarks. They also found a claw necklace similar to the one Branson always wore in Rogers collection. Roger’s is currently incarcerated on unrelated charges after being dropped as a suspect. So Branson Perry is still part of a cold case. He is however assumed dead by his family.
What remains of Bobbie Jo Stinnett’s house, now one of the most infamous crime scenes in recent history. Photo by Lacey and Troy’s Weird Adventures
Believe it or not Jo Ann lost a third relative although this one was related by marriage. Bobbie Jo Stinnett was married, pregnant, and running a good dog breeding business. Her story goes from American dream to incredible tragedy. Lisa M. Montgomery contacted Bobbie Jo in a chat room seeking a rat terrier puppy. She set up a time to come get a puppy and on December 16, 2004 stole everything from a young family to be, literally. As she entered the house and the door shut she strangled the 8 months pregnant Bobbie Jo from behind and then cut the baby from the womb leaving her in a pool of blood as she bolted from Skidmore.
Bobbie Jo’s mother came home to find her in that pool of blood. She called 911 and they attempted to bring her back but it was too late. Lisa Montgomery however drove to a Topeka Long John Silvers and called home saying she’d had her baby because she had her family convinced she was pregnant. Meanwhile someone on the message board where the arrangement was made to meet called the FBI after hearing about the murder and reported the false name of Darlene Fisher. The IP address led them right to Montgomery. On December 17th she was arrested and charged of kidnapping resulting in death. She was given Life imprisonment and the death penalty. She is currently in a Forth Worth federal medical centre awaiting punishment. Once the death sentence is carried out she will be only the 3rd woman put to death by the federal concernment since 1927. Amazingly Bobbie Jo’s daughter survived and was returned to her father.
The memorial in the small park in Skidmore. Photo by Lacey and Troy’s Weird Adventures
Bobbie Jo Stinnett’s final resting place. Photo by Lacey and Troy’s Weird Adventures
Outside of our interests of all things macabre I really hope the few that are left in that town get a lifetime of peace. They surely deserve it. But given the infamous history we have to ask the question…..what the hell is going on there? Our visit was eerie and somber. It felt so lonely there in the town but vibrant in their cemetery. Perhaps the devil doesn’t play in cemeteries when his stomping grounds is the city limits. Perhaps against the natural odds evil has made its home there in a few residents. Hell maybe it’s in the drinking water and activates on full moons. Our thoughts go out to those affected. And to Jo Ann Stinnett, darling your strength to push forward for the rest of your family is greatly admired by us. May you finally be resting in peace.
From Murdertown USA,
Lacey and Troy’s Weird Adventures
Lacey and Troy's Weird Adventures 