When you hear the phrase “Candy Death in Texas,” it might sound like the title of a spooky movie or a mystery novel. But this is no made-up tale—it’s a real-life story that shocked a small town in Texas and captured the attention of people all over the world. The story of Candy Montgomery, a Texas housewife who killed her friend Betty Gore with an axe in 1980, is so wild and dramatic that it’s been turned into not one, but two TV shows: Hulu’s Candy and HBO Max’s Love and Death. If you’ve watched these shows or heard about them, you might be wondering: What really happened? Who was Candy Montgomery? And how did this crazy true story unfold?
In this blog article, we’ll dive deep into the Candy Death in Texas true story. We’ll explore who Candy was, what led to the brutal murder, the trial that followed, and how this shocking event became a big deal on TV.
Who Was Candy Montgomery?
Candace “Candy” Montgomery was an ordinary woman—at least, that’s how she seemed on the outside. Born as Candace Wheeler in the 1950s, she grew up in a military family, moving around a lot as a kid. By the early 1970s, she was working as a secretary when she met Pat Montgomery, an electrical engineer. The two fell in love, got married, and started a family. They had two kids—a son and a daughter—and in 1977, they moved to a quiet town called Wylie in Collin County, Texas, just outside Dallas.
Candy was the picture of a perfect suburban housewife. She had a nice home, a good husband, and a busy life raising her kids. She was also super active at the First United Methodist Church of Lucas, where she sang in the choir and made friends with other families. One of those friends was Betty Gore, a schoolteacher who also went to the same church. At first glance, Candy’s life looked happy and normal. But deep down, she wasn’t satisfied. She felt bored and trapped in her routine, and that restlessness would set off a chain of events no one could have predicted.
How Did Candy Meet Betty Gore?
Candy and Betty Gore became friends through their church. Betty was married to Allan Gore, and they had two daughters. Like Candy, Betty was part of the church community—she taught fifth grade and was known for being quiet and kind. The two families got along well. Their kids even became best friends, and Candy and Betty grew close over time.
But things started to change in the summer of 1978. During a church volleyball game, Candy bumped into Allan Gore—literally. She later told people she thought Allan “smelled sexy,” and that moment sparked something in her. Candy was almost 29 years old, and she was tired of her predictable life. She wanted excitement, something to break the monotony. So, she decided to pursue Allan, even though he was her friend’s husband.
The Affair That Started It All
Candy didn’t jump into things right away. She spent months thinking about Allan before she finally made her move. One day, after another volleyball game, she pulled him aside and said, “I’ve been thinking about you a lot, and I’m really attracted to you.” Allan was surprised. He wasn’t the kind of guy who seemed like a ladies’ man—he wore glasses, had a plain look, and was pretty average. Plus, he loved his wife, Betty. At first, he told Candy no, saying he couldn’t cheat on Betty.
But Candy didn’t give up. She kept talking to Allan, and after weeks of back-and-forth, he agreed to start an affair. They planned it carefully, almost like it was a business deal. They set rules: they’d split the costs of their meetups, Candy would bring lunch to save time, and they’d keep it a secret. On December 12, 1978, their affair officially began. They met up at motels and other quiet spots, sneaking around behind their spouses’ backs.
The affair lasted for several months. For Candy, it was the thrill she’d been craving. For Allan, it was more complicated—he liked Candy, but he still cared about Betty, who was pregnant with their second child during this time. By early 1979, Allan started feeling guilty. After attending a marriage workshop called Marriage Encounter with Betty, he decided to end the affair. He told Candy it was over, and they both went back to their normal lives—or so it seemed.
The Day of the Murder: Friday the 13th, 1980
Fast forward to June 13, 1980—a date that would go down in Texas history. It was a Friday the 13th, which already sounds ominous. Allan was out of town on a business trip, leaving Betty at home with their one-year-old daughter. That day, Candy went to the Gore house to pick up a swimsuit for Betty’s older daughter, Alisa, who’d spent the night at Candy’s place for a sleepover.
What happened next is still debated, but here’s what we know based on Candy’s story and the evidence. When Candy arrived, Betty asked her point-blank about the affair with Allan. Betty had suspected something was going on, and now she wanted answers. The two women started arguing. At some point, Betty grabbed a three-foot-long axe from the garage. Candy later said Betty swung at her, hitting her on the head and toe. A struggle broke out, and Candy managed to take the axe away.
What happened after that was horrifying. Candy didn’t just stop at defending herself—she kept going. She hit Betty with the axe over and over again—41 times, to be exact. Most of the blows were to Betty’s head, leaving her unrecognizable. Forensic experts later said 40 of those strikes happened while Betty’s heart was still beating. When it was over, Candy showered in the Gore’s bathroom to wash off the blood, then left the house as if nothing had happened. She went to lunch, picked up her kids from church, and acted normal—all while Betty’s body lay in the utility room and her baby cried alone in her crib.
The Crime Scene and Discovery
Allan couldn’t reach Betty by phone that day, which wasn’t like her. Worried, he called neighbors and asked them to check on her. That evening, three neighbors went to the Gore house and found a nightmare. Betty’s body was in the utility room, covered in blood, with the axe nearby. Her one-year-old daughter was still in her crib, unharmed but alone for hours. The scene was so gruesome that the neighbors could barely look at it. They called the police right away.
The Wylie police weren’t used to big crimes like this—the town was small and peaceful. They didn’t even have proper crime scene tape, so they used packing tape instead. Mistakes were made: evidence got moved, and they tried to cover the axe handle with plastic sandwich bags to save fingerprints. It was a messy investigation from the start.
Candy Gets Caught
At first, no one suspected Candy. She was the sweet church lady, after all. But Allan told police about their past affair, and that put Candy on their radar. A few days later, she was arrested and charged with Betty’s murder. The news spread like wildfire, shocking the tight-knit community. How could someone like Candy do something so brutal?
Candy didn’t deny killing Betty, but she said it was self-defense. She claimed Betty attacked her first with the axe, and she only fought back to save herself. It was a wild story, and people weren’t sure what to believe.
The Trial: A Shocking Twist
Candy’s trial began in October 1980, just four months after the murder. It lasted only eight days, but it was packed with drama. Candy’s lawyer argued that she acted in self-defense after Betty came at her with the axe. They brought in a psychiatrist who said Candy had snapped because of childhood trauma. According to Candy, when Betty “shushed” her during the fight, it reminded her of her strict mother telling her to be quiet as a kid. That triggered a rage she couldn’t control.
The prosecution had a different take. They said 41 axe blows were way too many for self-defense—Candy could’ve run away instead of killing Betty. They painted her as a cold, calculating woman who was angry that her affair with Allan had ended.
The evidence was strong against Candy: her fingerprints were on the axe, and she’d admitted to being there. But here’s the twist—on October 29, 1980, the jury found her not guilty. Nine women and three men decided that Candy’s self-defense story held up. The courtroom gasped, and outside, angry townspeople chanted “Murderer!” as Candy walked free. It was one of the most surprising verdicts in Texas history.
What Happened to Candy After the Trial?
After the trial, Candy and Pat left Texas to start over in Georgia. They wanted to escape the gossip and anger back home. But their marriage didn’t last—four years later, they divorced. Candy reportedly went back to using her maiden name, Candace Wheeler, and trained to become a family counselor. Some say she still lives in Georgia today, working as a therapist, but she’s stayed out of the spotlight. In 2010, a newspaper tried to reach her for a story, but she said, “I’m not interested,” and hasn’t talked publicly since.
Allan Gore remarried too, moving to Florida with his new wife. He left his daughters with Betty’s parents in Texas. Like Candy, he’s kept a low profile ever since.
Why “Candy Death in Texas” Became a TV Sensation
The Candy Death in Texas story has all the ingredients of a gripping drama: love, betrayal, a gruesome murder, and a courtroom twist. That’s why Hollywood couldn’t resist it. The first adaptation was a 1990 TV movie called A Killing in a Small Town, starring Barbara Hershey as Candy. It won her an Emmy and introduced the story to a big audience.
Then, in 2022, Hulu released Candy, a five-episode miniseries with Jessica Biel as Candy and Melanie Lynskey as Betty. It aired over five nights, digging into the emotions and tensions that led to the murder. Critics loved Biel’s creepy, cold performance and the way the show captured the 1970s vibe.
Just a year later, in 2023, HBO Max dropped Love and Death, a seven-episode series starring Elizabeth Olsen as Candy. This version went deeper into the affair and trial, with a star-studded cast including Jesse Plemons as Allan and Lily Rabe as Betty. Both shows are based on a 1984 book, Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs, by Jim Atkinson and John Bloom, who first wrote about the case in Texas Monthly.
The Real Story vs. the TV Shows
So, how close are the TV shows to the real Candy Death in Texas story? Both Candy and Love and Death stick to the main facts: the affair, the axe murder on June 13, 1980, and the not-guilty verdict. But they add their own twists to make it more dramatic. For example, Candy focuses on the psychological side—why Candy snapped—while Love and Death spends more time on the community and the trial.
Some details get stretched or changed for TV. In real life, we don’t know exactly what Betty and Candy said to each other before the fight, but the shows fill in the blanks with imagined conversations. Still, they capture the big picture: a shocking crime that left people asking, “How could this happen?”
Why People Are Still Talking About It
Even 45 years later, the Candy Death in Texas story fascinates us. Maybe it’s the contrast—Candy seemed so normal, yet she did something so violent. Or maybe it’s the mystery: Was it really self-defense, or did she get away with murder? The fact that she walked free adds to the intrigue.
True crime fans love stories like this because they mix everyday life with dark secrets. It’s a reminder that even in quiet suburbs, anything can happen. And with two hit TV shows bringing it back to life, the tale of Candy Montgomery isn’t going away anytime soon.
Final Thoughts
The Candy Death in Texas true story is wilder than fiction. A churchgoing mom, an affair, 41 axe blows, and a not-guilty verdict—it’s the kind of tale that sticks with you. Whether you’ve seen Candy on Hulu or Love and Death on HBO Max, you now know the real events behind the drama. Candy Montgomery’s life went from ordinary to infamous in a single day, and her story still leaves us with questions.
What do you think—did Candy act in self-defense, or was there more to it? Let us know in the comments! And if you enjoyed this deep dive into the Candy Death in Texas true story, share it with a friend or check out more true crime articles on our site.
