Recounts the true story of the murder of Ken Rex McElroy, a man who had terrorized and bullied the citizens of Skidmore, Missouri, and whose killer is still protected by a code of silence

In Broad Daylight

Biographies & Memoirs

MacLean, Harry N.

True Crime

Harpercollins

Offers an in-depth account of how a woman's alleged recall of the murder of her childhood best friend resulted in the conviction of her own father for the crime

Once upon a Time: A True Story of Memory, Murder and the Law

In Broad Daylight: A murder in Skidmore, Missouri

FOR TEN YEARS, HE TERRORIZED THEM WITHOUT MERCY… Ken McElroy robbed, raped, burned, shot, and maimed the citizens of Skidmore, Missouri, without conscience or remorse. Again and again, the law had failed to stop him. UNTIL THEY TOOK JUSTICE INTO THEIR OWN HANDS. On July 10, 1981, Ken was shot to death on the main street of this small farming community. Forty-five people watched. No indictments were ever issued, no trial held…and the town of Skidmore protected the killers with silence. With this powerful, true-life account, Edgar Award-winning author Harry N. MacLean reveals what drove a community of everyday American citizens to commit murder… IN BROAD DAYLIGHT

In Broad Daylight: A Murder in Skidmore, Missouri

St. Martin's True Crime

On May 2, 1964, Klansman James Ford Seale picked up two black hitchhikers and drowned both young men in the Mississippi River. Seale spent more than forty years a free man, before finally facing trial in 2007. There could have been two defendants in the resulting case: James Ford Seale for kidnapping and murder, and the State of Mississippi for complicity—knowingly aiding, abetting, and creating men like Seale.
In The Past Is Never Dead, best-selling author Harry MacLean follows Seale's trial, the legal difficulties of prosecuting kidnapping and murder charges decades after the fact, and the strain on a state contending with a past that can't be forgiven. MacLean's narrative is at once the account of a gripping legal battle and an acute meditation on the possibility of redemption.

The Past Is Never Dead: The Trial of James Ford Seale and Mississippi's Struggle for Redemption

History

Americas

Civitas Books

Ken Rex McElroy was an illiterate hog farmer who lived on the outskirts of a small town in Northwest Missouri. For over twenty years he raped, robbed and burned almost at will. Cops were scared to arrest him, prosecutors were scared to prosecute him, judges were scared to judge him, and juries were scared to convict him. Over the years, Skidmore and many other small communities became convinced that the law was incapable of protecting them from McElroy. They watched in awe as he walked away from one crime after another. Ken McElroy was shot to death on the main street of Skidmore in July 1981, in front of 45 witnesses. Despite three grand juries, no one has been indicted for the killing.

Harry N. MacLean

Edgar-Award winning author Harry MacLean is bringing the New York Times bestseller “In Broad Daylight” back to print in a keepsake trade paper edition that also includes "The Story Behind 'In Broad Daylight.’" “In Broad Daylight” tells the story of the killing of Ken Rex McElroy on the main street of Skidmore, Missouri in July 1981. McElroy, an illiterate hog farmer, had terrorized all of northwest Missouri for over 20 years, until the town, and even law enforcement, was terrified of him. McElroy was shot as he sat in his truck in front of the tavern. Over 45 men witnessed the shooting. Despite two eyewitness accounts and three grand jury investigations, no one has been prosecuted for the crime. “In Broad Daylight” won an Edgar Award for Best True Crime. It was also made into a movie starring Brian Denehey, Cloris Leachman and Chris Cooper. It was re-released as an e-book on Amazon July 2012 on the 31st anniversary of the killing. St. Martin’s Press published the last print edition in 2006.In “The Story Behind ‘In Broad Daylight,’” MacLean tells how he researched and wrote the book. He tells of guns being drawn on him, being bitten by a dog, and a confrontation with the killer on the killer’s ranch. In addition to updates on characters from the book (including who is still alive and who has died), the book answers many questions about the killing itself, such as who was involved, and what has become of them. MacLean describes the breakthrough events when key characters agreed to speak with him, and he realized he would finally get the story. The author also discusses the nature of the moral consequences of the killing for the town and those involved in the crime. The mini-book contains never-before published photographs of some of the principal characters, including the killer. These two books are combined for the first time in this new edition.

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

“The Past Is Never Dead” is a book about a trial. In January 2007 the federal government charged James Ford Seale with conspiracy and kidnapping in the 1964 murder of two young black men. In May of 2007 Seale was tried for these crimes in Jackson, Mississippi. The book tells the story of the trial from beginning to end, and in the telling recreates the crime itself. The case has all the problems truly cold cases have: missing evidence, deceased or ancient witnesses, and decayed memories. The key evidence against Seale is the testimony of Charles Edwards, a fellow Klansman who was himself involved in the crime. But the book is about much more than the trial. The title is from William Faulkner in his book “Requiem For A Nun,” and the full quote is: “The Past Is Never Dead. It’s not even past.” The story of the trial is woven together with the story of Mississippi, its past and its ongoing struggle for redemption.

The Past is Never Dead: The Trial of James Ford Seale and Mississippi's Struggle for Redemption

In 1989, Eileen Franklin, a young California housewife, claimed to recover a repressed memory of her father killing her playmate 20 earlier. In a landmark trial, the father was charged and convicted of first-degree murder, based solely on his daughter’s testimony. This book chronicles the trial, explores the remarkably dysfunctional Franklin family, and delves into the reliability of repressed memory as evidence in court. This version contains a 2011 Epilogue, which details the reasons for the reversal of George Franklin’s conviction and the refusal of the district attorney to retry him for murder.

Once Upon a Time: A True Story of Memory, Murder, and the Law

In “The Story Behind ‘In Broad Daylight,'” Author Harry MacLean reveals the details of how he uncovered what actually happened in the vigilante killing of Ken Rex McElroy in Skidmore, Missouri, in 1981, as told in “In Broad Daylight.” Standing a few feet from where the killers opened fire on Ken Rex McElroy more than three decade ago, Harry N. MacLean explains how he came to write his Edgar Award-winning book. MacLean had doors slammed in his face, guns pulled on him, and was bitten by a dog. Eventually, he won over the closed community of Skidmore, Mo. The inhabitants shared with him the reign of terror Ken Rex McElroy inflicted for twenty years in Northwest Missouri, and information about his murder on the main street of Skidmore in 1981. Despite 45 witnesses, the case remains unsolved. MacLean tells the story in his book “In Broad Daylight,” first published in 1988. “The Story Behind ‘In Broad Daylight’” brings the book up to date and includes several previously unpublished pictures. It also answers many questions about the killing itself, such as who was involved, and what has become of them. The author discusses the nature of the moral consequences of the killing for the town and those involved in the killing. MacLean describes the breakthrough events when key characters agreed to speak with him, and he realized he would finally get the story.

The Story Behind In 'Broad Daylight'

The definitive story of Charles Starkweather, often considered to be the first mass killer in the modern age of America On January 21, 1958, nineteen-year-old Charles Starkweather changed the course of crime in the United States when he murdered the parents and sister of his fourteen-year-old girlfriend (and possible accomplice), Caril Ann Fugate, in a house on the edge of Lincoln, Nebraska. They then drove to the nearby town of Bennet, where a farmer was robbed and killed. When Starkweather's car broke down, the teenagers who stopped to help were murdered and jammed into a storm cellar. By the time the dust settled, ten innocent people were dead and the city of Lincoln was in a state of terror. Schools closed. Men with rifles perched on the roofs of their houses. The National Guard patrolled the street. If there is a cultural version of PTSD, the town suffered from it. Starkweather and Fugate's capture and arrest, and the resulting trials about the killing spree, received worldwide coverage. The event would serve as the inspiration for the movie Natural Born Killers and Springsteen's iconic album Nebraska. Today, the story has dropped far from the national consciousness. With new material, new reporting, and new conclusions about the possible guilt or innocence of Fugate, the tale is ripe for an updated and definitive retelling. In Starkweather, bestselling author Harry N. MacLean tells the story of this shocking event and its lasting impact, a crime spree that struck deep into the heart of the heartland.

Starkweather: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree That Changed America

Counterpoint LLC

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by MacLean, Harry N.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by MacLean, Harry N.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by MacLean, Harry N.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

In Broad Daylight

Once upon a Time: A True Story of Memory, Murder and the Law

In Broad Daylight: A Murder in Skidmore, Missouri

The Past Is Never Dead: The Trial of James Ford Seale and Mississippi's Struggle for Redemption

In Broad Daylight: A murder in Skidmore, Missouri

In Broad Daylight

The Past is Never Dead: The Trial of James Ford Seale and Mississippi's Struggle for Redemption

Once Upon a Time: A True Story of Memory, Murder, and the Law

The Story Behind In 'Broad Daylight'

Starkweather: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree That Changed America