‘Candy’: The real ax killing story behind Hulu, HBO show

DALLAS — It was a brutal ax killing that shocked the small North Texas city of Wylie in 1980. 

Candy Montgomery killed Betty Gore by slicing her with an ax 41 instances, following a confrontation about Montgomery’s months-long affair with Gore’s husband, in keeping with Texas Monthly’s reporting of Montgomery’s trial.

Now, 42 years later, two new true-crime sequence – Hulu’s Candy starring Jessica Biel and HBO Max’s Love and Death starring Elizabeth Olsen – are bringing the case again to life.

Candy aired throughout a five-night Hulu occasion from May 9 to May 13. Love and Death premieres April 27 on HBO Max.

Each sequence takes a glance again on the harrowing story of the 2 churchgoing {couples} having fun with small-town household life, till that fateful Friday the thirteenth of June 1980.

Here is a take a look at the true crime story behind Candy and Love and Death.

Candy Montgomery was married to Pat Montgomery, a younger electrical engineer at Texas Instruments, and mom of two kids. Betty Gore was a center faculty instructor married to Allan Gore. 

Both the Montgomerys and Gores recurrently attended service on the First United Methodist Church of Lucas, in keeping with Texas Monthly’s 1984 profile. This is what introduced Candy Montgomery and Betty Gore collectively and finally led to the affair and homicide.

According to Texas Monthly, the affair between Candy Montgomery and Allan Gore started after the 2 collided on a play on the church volleyball court docket, which set Candy’s sights on Allan. She pursued Allan Gore for months earlier than he lastly agreed to start an affair. The affair continued till Allan Gore ended it to focus his consideration on Betty, who had grown extra anxious about their relationship, and their household, the Texas magazine reported.

Then, on Friday the thirteenth of June 1980, the Gore’s Wylie home grew to become the location of one in every of Texas’ most infamous crimes. 

Betty Gore confronted Candy Montgomery concerning the affair, which led to a wrestle with an ax. Candy Montgomery prevailed within the wrestle, then reportedly assaulted Betty Gore 41 instances, killing her. 

Candy Montgomery was ultimately arrested and charged with the homicide of Betty Gore. In court docket, Candy Montgomery pleaded that she killed Gore out of self-defense arguing that “after being struck twice with the ax by [Betty] and then gaining control of the weapon, the heavier and larger [Betty] refused to let [Candy] go.” 

The prosecution, in the meantime, argued that Candy might have fled “rather than bludgeon” Betty Gore to dying.

On Oct. 30, 1980, a jury of 9 girls and three males discovered Candy Montgomery not responsible of Betty Gore’s homicide. She was acquitted of the homicide cost.

Twenty-eight years after Gore was killed, WFAA went again to Wylie and spoke with a number of residents about their recall of the harrowing story. People in Wylie nonetheless discuss that home.

Who would reside in such a home?

After the yellow police tape comes down at a criminal offense scene, new residents deliver new furnishings, new belongings and new lives. But in lots of circumstances, the home continues to be outlined by what as soon as occurred inside its partitions. The query then is: How do you flip the house of a high-profile killing into a house?

You can learn extra concerning the so-called “ax murder house” right here.

Candy was created by Nick Antosca and Robin Veith with Jessica Biel as Candy, Melanie Lynskey as Betty Gore, Pablo Schreiber as Allan Gore and Timothy Simons as Pat Montgomery.

Writers Jim Atkinson and John Bloom, who wrote the 2 Texas Monthly articles (learn Part 1 here, learn Part 2 here), function consulting producers on Candy. Their e book, Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death within the Suburbs, is being tailored by David E. Kelley for Love and Death. 

The upcoming HBO Max sequence stars Olsen as Candy, Jesse Plemons as Allan Gore, Patrick Fugit as Pat Montgomery and Lily Rabe as Betty Gore.