KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Audiences will soon be able to see “Below the Fold”, a film inspired by the strange crimes of Skidmore, Missouri in theaters and on demand.

“Below the Fold” is a mysterious thriller where reporters Lisa Johnson (Sarah McGuire) and David Fremont (Davis DeRock) work to find leads on the case of a missing girl, Susie Potter, who went missing from her quiet home in Skidmore 10 years ago.

Along the way, they discover a tangle of lies, deception and double-dealing that fractures the small town in northwest Missouri.

The plot in “Below the Fold” is fictional, but several other bizarre crimes that took place in Skidmore are not.

Writer and director Clayton Scott grew up in neighboring Worth County. He also has ties to two of the city’s best-known murder victims, Ken Rex McElroy and Bobbie Jo Stinnett.

Ken Rex McElroy, whose unsolved murder outside the local tavern inspired a book and movie called “In Broad Daylight” was known to both of Scott’s parents.

“My mom, in the 70s, lived there [Skidmore] briefly so she would know about McElroy and you kind of knew to stay away from him whenever he was in town. My dad, he didn’t live in Skidmore, but McElroy ran these coon hunting competitions and my dad was the judge. He remembers that he was right there and that he was really good at it, ”he said.

Lisa Montgomery Executed by Federal Government for Murder of Missouri Woman

In 2004, the brutal murder of pregnant Bobbie Jo Stinnett in Skidmore sparked a region-wide manhunt before her killer, Lisa Montgomery, was arrested in Kansas with the child she cut off her stomach. Stinnett. Earlier this year, Montgomery became the first woman to be executed by the federal government in 67 years.

“My older sister is my half-sister and she was Bobbie Jo’s first cousin. They got to know each other growing up, so it’s a very personal bond for her, ”Scott said.

However, there are other cases, less known, but still tragic. Wendy Gillenwater was beaten to death by her boyfriend in 2000. He is in prison for life. Branson Perry left his Skidmore home on April 11, 2001 and has never been seen again.

“Every time that basically these Wendy Gillenwater, Branson Perry, and Bobbie Jo cases have happened, you know, in those years back and forth and as a teenager and as a kid growing up, it made me feel like bad things can happen in small towns just like anywhere else, and in this particular town, Skidmore, they’ve had the worst things, ”Scott said.

Small town Skidmore, Missouri crime mystery inspires upcoming thriller

This is why Scott said the shoot in Northwestern Missouri was important. The film’s newspaper scenes were shot in the offices of the Maryville Forum.

“Having that authenticity and being able to shoot on real paper brought a lot of production value to the film, and then filming on location at Skidmore, we’re shooting in one of the old houses, it’s not there anymore, but just behind it. C ‘s where Branson Perry lived.

Scott said he hopes audiences will enjoy the film.

“For our little movie, you get kind of a slow-burning journalistic thriller in the vein of“ All the President’s Men ”and“ Zodiac. ”I mean, we’re a much smaller movie, but you kind of get That tone. You send these reporters on a mission, trying to find out the truth about this missing girl who’s been gone for 10 years.

“Below the Fold” airs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday November 19 and Saturday November 20 at the Hangar in Maryville, Missouri. You can buy tickets here. The cast and crew will also be available for a question-and-answer session after each screening.

Tickets are limited and are expected to sell out, so advance purchase is recommended.

The movie is available on demand on iTunes, Amazon Video, Google, Dish and more on November 23. You can also pre-order the film on Vudu here.

You can find out more and watch the full trailer here.