Read Online In Broad Daylight by Harry N. MacLean - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Harry N. MacLean
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stores in Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska; and they knew he carried a loaded shotgun with him at all times. They even knew how he went about his crimes.
Proving what they knew was something else altogether. McElroy had a number of places around where he stashed livestock, and the animals were usually sold in women's names. Marvin Dycus, an investigator with the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department, headquartered in St. Joe, spent a lot of time trying to nail McElroy. Dycus had an uncomplicated view of him: "He was a mean son of a bitch and a snake-you never, ever turned your back on him." He investigated McElroy many times for livestock theft, but could never make it stick. McElroy always managed to move the livestock faster than he could catch up with him. Dycus uncovered a farm at Willow Brook, a small town near St. Joe, where he was convinced McElroy was holding stolen animals. But whenever the cops showed up there, McElroy was always ready for them. He would not talk, and he would not let them look around without a warrant. "If you think you've got a case against me, prove it," he would say defiantly to Dycus.
Two things made McElroy's business easier. Some sale barns cooperated by not keeping good records and by not making readily available to law enforcement the records they did keep. Also, Missouri law did not require branding of livestock, and farmers had difficulty making their identifications stick in court. If a farmer said he recognized his five hogs in a pen of fifty, he'd better be able to point out identifying characteristics, such as a scar, a split ear, or unusual coloration. In the larger hog operations, holding as many as 500 or 1,000 hogs, identification was virtually impossible. The fact was, as McElroy well knew, to make the charges stick, the cops would virtually have to catch him loading someone else's hogs into his truck.
Some assault charges were filed against McElroy in Buchanan County in those days, but they never stuck either. One was filed by a woman, and later dismissed on her request. And a farmer filed charges after catching McElroy stealing two of his horses, but withdrew them after McElroy smashed him across the face with a rifle.
In 1961, when Ken was twenty-six, he met Alice Wood. Fifteen years old, with brown hair and pretty blue eyes, Alice worked as a clerk in Herman's drugstore in St. Joe. The boyfriend of a fellow clerk stopped in frequently, and one day he came in with a tall, dark, well-built, good-looking guy, and introduced him to Alice. Alice found him charming and dashing, with a flair for doing things his own way and spending money as if it didn't matter. She was impressed.
Alice's experience with men before this had not been good. She had not known her father, but her mother told her he was an alcoholic who had walked out on the family when Alice was a baby. Later, her mother wouldn't let him around the kids and had only bad things to say about him. (After Alice was grown, he would come to see her, but only when he wanted something.)
When Alice was four or five years old, her mother married a man named Otha Embrey, whom Alice disliked from the very beginning. If she was made to go to the store with him, she would refuse to let him buy her a candy bar. According to Alice, he would often come home drunk and abusive, but her mother didn't seem to see it as a problem. Finally, when Alice was thirteen years old, she ran away from home and moved into an apartment with a friend. When she met Ken McElroy, she was young, naive, and on her own, without any real family support. Soon, she became fascinated with Ken McElroy, with the sheer force of the man.
In 1964, Ken left Sharon and the four girls at the farm in Skidmore, and moved in with Alice in St. Joe. In those days Alice loved him-in fact, she idolized him. She was the little girl without a father who needed taking care of, and he was the older man, knowledgeable in the ways of the world, tough, and strong. But it didn't work
Proving what they knew was something else altogether. McElroy had a number of places around where he stashed livestock, and the animals were usually sold in women's names. Marvin Dycus, an investigator with the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department, headquartered in St. Joe, spent a lot of time trying to nail McElroy. Dycus had an uncomplicated view of him: "He was a mean son of a bitch and a snake-you never, ever turned your back on him." He investigated McElroy many times for livestock theft, but could never make it stick. McElroy always managed to move the livestock faster than he could catch up with him. Dycus uncovered a farm at Willow Brook, a small town near St. Joe, where he was convinced McElroy was holding stolen animals. But whenever the cops showed up there, McElroy was always ready for them. He would not talk, and he would not let them look around without a warrant. "If you think you've got a case against me, prove it," he would say defiantly to Dycus.
Two things made McElroy's business easier. Some sale barns cooperated by not keeping good records and by not making readily available to law enforcement the records they did keep. Also, Missouri law did not require branding of livestock, and farmers had difficulty making their identifications stick in court. If a farmer said he recognized his five hogs in a pen of fifty, he'd better be able to point out identifying characteristics, such as a scar, a split ear, or unusual coloration. In the larger hog operations, holding as many as 500 or 1,000 hogs, identification was virtually impossible. The fact was, as McElroy well knew, to make the charges stick, the cops would virtually have to catch him loading someone else's hogs into his truck.
Some assault charges were filed against McElroy in Buchanan County in those days, but they never stuck either. One was filed by a woman, and later dismissed on her request. And a farmer filed charges after catching McElroy stealing two of his horses, but withdrew them after McElroy smashed him across the face with a rifle.
In 1961, when Ken was twenty-six, he met Alice Wood. Fifteen years old, with brown hair and pretty blue eyes, Alice worked as a clerk in Herman's drugstore in St. Joe. The boyfriend of a fellow clerk stopped in frequently, and one day he came in with a tall, dark, well-built, good-looking guy, and introduced him to Alice. Alice found him charming and dashing, with a flair for doing things his own way and spending money as if it didn't matter. She was impressed.
Alice's experience with men before this had not been good. She had not known her father, but her mother told her he was an alcoholic who had walked out on the family when Alice was a baby. Later, her mother wouldn't let him around the kids and had only bad things to say about him. (After Alice was grown, he would come to see her, but only when he wanted something.)
When Alice was four or five years old, her mother married a man named Otha Embrey, whom Alice disliked from the very beginning. If she was made to go to the store with him, she would refuse to let him buy her a candy bar. According to Alice, he would often come home drunk and abusive, but her mother didn't seem to see it as a problem. Finally, when Alice was thirteen years old, she ran away from home and moved into an apartment with a friend. When she met Ken McElroy, she was young, naive, and on her own, without any real family support. Soon, she became fascinated with Ken McElroy, with the sheer force of the man.
In 1964, Ken left Sharon and the four girls at the farm in Skidmore, and moved in with Alice in St. Joe. In those days Alice loved him-in fact, she idolized him. She was the little girl without a father who needed taking care of, and he was the older man, knowledgeable in the ways of the world, tough, and strong. But it didn't work
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