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Unsolved 1981 Shooting of Kenneth McElroy Stuns Missouri

6/4/2026

42 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

In July 1981, Kenneth Rex McElroy, 47, was shot dead in his pickup truck outside a bar in Skidmore, Missouri.
Teenager Cheryl Huston watched from her parents’ grocery store and later confirmed McElroy’s death.
McElroy, accused of sexual assault and hog rustling, had shot Huston’s father a year earlier.
Although witnesses saw the shooting, no one identified the shooter(s), leaving an unsolved case that has fascinated Skidmore residents for 45 years.

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Story summary

In July 1981, Kenneth Rex McElroy, 47, was shot dead in his pickup truck outside a bar in Skidmore, Missouri.
Teenager Cheryl Huston watched from her parents’ grocery store and later confirmed McElroy’s death.
McElroy, accused of sexual assault and hog rustling, had shot Huston’s father a year earlier.
Although witnesses saw the shooting, no one identified the shooter(s), leaving an unsolved case that has fascinated Skidmore residents for 45 years.