The story of a Texas housewife who hacked her best friend to death with an ax sounds like a neighborhood rumor or urban legend, but Candy Montgomery’s 1980 murder of Betty Gore was all too real. And as it happens, the true crime catnip has been adapted into a star-studded TV mini-series twice over the past year.
Last summer brought Hulu’s candies, starring Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey as Candy and Betty, respectively, along with Timothy Simmons and Pablo Schreiber as a married couple. Now, HBO delivers Love and death Written by David E. Kelley and directed by mad men And homeland alum Leslie Linka Glatter; The series stars Elizabeth Olsen, Lily Rabe, Jesse Plemons, and Patrick Fugit.
Even (or especially) when truth is stranger than fiction, it’s important to know the facts. Here’s the crash course on this condition ahead of the series premiere.
Who is Candy Montgomery?
Candy Wheeler was working as a secretary in the early 1970s when she married electrical engineer Pat Montgomery. In 1977, they moved with their two children to Collin County, Texas, where Candy met Betty Gore and her husband, Alan. Both spouses attended Lucas Methodist Church, and Candy Montgomery and Alan Gore were members of the choir.
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in Texas Monthly1984 article, “Love and Death in Silicon Prairie”(Opens in a new tab) Candy is described as “about 29 and sexually frustrated. She was completely honest with herself about it.” She felt she was missing something outside the four walls of her well-appointed home and nuclear family. On the surface, Alan Gore seemed an unlikely candidate for an affair — Texas Monthly He describes him as “an ordinary little guy with horn-rimmed glasses, puffy cheeks, and, even at a young age, signs of a receding hairline” — but he and Candy started sleeping together in December of 1978, nine months after they met.
They started Meeting every two weeks at Hotel Como(Opens in a new tab). was the case Tightly engineered(Opens in a new tab)including ground rules regarding money (gas, food, and room costs would be split between the two), who brought lunch on the days they met (Candy), and the circumstances under which the relationship would end (if one wanted out, or became romantically involved).
Who was Betty Gore?
Betty Pomeroy was originally from the small town of Norwich, Kansas. She married Alan Gore in January 1970, and they moved to an area outside of Dallas, Texas. Betty began teaching elementary school in 1976 in Wiley, a suburb of Dallas near Plano. After the couple’s first daughter, Alyssa, was born, Betty told Alan in the fall of 1978 that she wanted to start trying for a second child. The couple’s relationship was not in the best of shape — Betty was likely suffering from postpartum depression after the birth of her second daughter, and things were souring between them both emotionally and sexually, although they did improve briefly after Bethany was born in July 1979.
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In an effort to repair their relationship, Betty and Alan attend a gathering called the Methodist Marriage Meet, an event aimed at couples looking to bring deeper connection into their relationships. By this time, Candy and Alan’s relationship has been on indefinite hold, following Candy She revealed that she was developing strong feelings for Alan(Opens in a new tab)And he started worrying about my house. Betty and Alan return from a weekend and recommit to each other, and after an uncomfortable conversation, Candy ends the relationship.
Did Candy Montgomery Kill Betty Gore?
Although the relationship between Candy and Alan is over, Betty becomes suspicious. When Candy visited Betty’s home on June 13, 1980, Betty confronted her about sleeping with her husband, who was out of town on a business trip. Candy claimed(Opens in a new tab) that she had confessed to the affair, and when she did, Betty attacked her with an axe. According to Candy, she acted in self-defense, striking Betty with the same ax 41 times. Steve Defeppo(Opens in a new tab)a former Collin County sheriff’s deputy who worked on the case, described the crime scene as “like a scene out of a horror movie,” specifically one the shiningwhich premiered in theaters three weeks before Betty’s death.
With Alan away in Minnesota at the time of the murder, Candy quickly becomes the prime suspect, having been the last person to see Betty alive. After Alan tells the police about their affair, Candy confesses. She said she passed out. Her memories would be restored by hypnosis, at which point she remembered that while Betty was holding the ax and Candy begged for her life, Betty did an act of “shhh” sound(Opens in a new tab)triggering the memory of Candy’s abusive mother and driving her into a rage that she could not control
If it was as self-defense as she claimed, onlookers wondered, why did Candy need to hit Betty 41 times? Would it actually take that many hits to defend itself? (No) Why didn’t you take the ax out of my house and leave the house? And why was Bethany, who was 11 months old at the time, left alone, only to be discovered hours later by the neighbors, drained and dirty? Despite the misgivings, Candy was found not guilty by a jury in McKinney, Texas, in October 1980. When I left the courtroom(Opens in a new tab)Accompanied by a guard (A A message that threatens her life(Opens in a new tab) sent to the DA during the trial), she is greeted by a mob of shocked and outraged citizens chanting, “Fight, kill!”
Where are Candy Montgomery, Pat Montgomery, and Alan Gore now?
After the trial, Candy and Pat Montgomery moved to Georgia(Opens in a new tab)From there the reports vary. the Dallas Morning News reported in 2010,(Opens in a new tab) Immediately after the trial, Montgomery said she wanted to “put all this behind me and be normal again.” She moved to Georgia and was certified as a family counselor, ten years ago refusing to speak to a News Reporter: “I’m telling you in big bold letters I’m not interested.”
“On this anniversary, she didn’t reply at all.”
Alan Gore supported Candy during the trial, asserting that they both wanted to end the relationship, and thus it was not possible that Candy did not kill Betty out of anger or revenge. remarried(Opens in a new tab) less than three months after the trial, though he has since divorced; Betty’s parents raised his children with Betty, Alyssa, and Betty.
Love and death Premiere on HBO Max(Opens in a new tab) On April 27th. candies Streaming now on Hulu(Opens in a new tab).