Ken McElroy

Fighting over Candy

The series of events that would end with Ken McElroy’s murder began with an argument about a 10-cent piece of candy.

On the afternoon of April 25, 1980, several of McElroy’s children stopped in the B&B grocery store in Skidmore to buy candy. Due to confusion at the cash register, one of the younger children began walking out of the store with candy in her hand that had not been paid for.

When the clerk hollered after the children, the oldest among them went flush with anger or humiliation. She took the candy from her sister, who broke out crying, and tossed it on a rack as she stormed out. Seconds later, an older sister marched into the store and declared, “Nobody accuses my little sister of stealing!”

Bo & Lois Bowenkamp

The owners, Lois and Bo Bowenkamp, tried to resolve the disagreement through discussion. But that tactic would not work with the McElroy kin. The teenager swore that she and her family were finished shopping there, and Lois Bowenkamp said they were no longer welcome in the store.

Predictably, Ken McElroy arrived 20 minutes later. He stepped into the store with a pocketknife in his right hand. Behind him came Trena, who spewed obscenities at Lois Bowenkamp and threatened to “whip her ass.”

Bowenkamp tried to explain what had transpired—that no one had accused the child of stealing, but that the older girl had gotten flustered when the clerk pointed out that the piece of candy had not been purchased. McElroy and Trena seemed to calm down. He asked for a pack of Camels. Bowenkamp, who had a stubborn streak, declined, saying the family had been barred from the store.

That evening, McElroy sat in his truck outside the store and stared. After closing, the Bowenkamps retired to their home at the edge of town only to find McElroy’s truck crawling past their home, over and over.

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1. Keep an Eye on Him
2. McElroy’s Style
3. The Last Straw
4. Murder in Broad Daylight
5. On the Night Shift
6. He Loved Children
7. Power over Women
8. Another Teen Love
9. Saved by the Law
10. Invincible
11. Intent to Kill
12. A Mysterious Shooting
13. Fighting over Candy
14. The Last Word
15. The Law’s No Help
16. The Art of Intimidation
17. At Last, a Trial
18. The Town Reacts
19. Show of Support
20. The Investigations
21. Aftermath
22. Skidmore Shrinks
23. *New Chapter: Twenty-five Years Later
24. *New Chapter: Bowenkamp's Daughters Speak Out
25. *New Chapter: The Real Story about the Candy
26. *New Chapter: Raging Media Torrent
27. *New Chapter: Tarnish and Regrets
28. *New Chapter: Vigilantes or Necessary Justice?
29. Bibliography