Who is the Ax Killer Candy Montgomery featured in 'Love and Death'?

The true-crime saga of Candy Montgomery has captured American attention once again with HBO Maxs Love and Death now available for streaming on Netflix. The story recounts the shocking 1980 killing of Betty Gore by her friend Candy Montgomery, who was ultimately acquitted of murder.

Earlier, Hulus Candy explored the same real-life events in May 2022, starring Jessica Biel as Montgomery and Melanie Lynskey as Gore. HBO Max offered its own interpretation a year later, featuring Elizabeth Olsen and Lily Rabe in the leading roles.

So, what led to the creation of these competing dramatizations? Candace Candy Montgomery was 30 years old, living in Fairview, Texas, with her husband, Texas Instruments engineer Pat Montgomery, and their two children. Candy attended the same church as Betty Gore, a 30-year-old middle school teacher. At the time, Candy had also been involved in an affair with Bettys husband, Allan Gore, which had recently ended.

On June 13, 1980, a Friday the 13th, Candy was helping Bettys older daughter, Alisa, by taking her to a swim lesson. While stopping at the Gore home to collect a swimsuit, Candy and Betty confronted one another about the affair with Allan Gore. During this argument, an ax became involved. Candys attorneys later claimed Betty had grabbed the ax first, but during their struggle, Betty ultimately lost control of the weapon. Hours later, neighbors discovered Betty dead in her utility room, having suffered 41 ax wounds, many of which experts later testified occurred after she had lost consciousness.

During Candys October trial, her lawyer argued self-defense, presenting a psychiatrist who testified that Candy experienced a dissociative state, leaving her unaware of how many times she struck Betty. Candy herself testified, admitting: I hit her. I hit her. I hit her. I stood back and looked at myself, and I was covered in blood. I felt so guilty, so dirty. I felt so ashamed. After an eight-day trial, the 12-member jury acquitted Candy, accepting the self-defense claim. One juror noted that the sheer number of ax strikes did not affect the verdict.

After the trial, Candy moved out of state and is now in her 70s. A relative reported she suffers from PTSD and finds it difficult to handle phone calls related to the case.

The dramatizations by Hulu and HBO Max have reintroduced the grisly story to a wider audience, drawing attention from both those familiar with the events and newcomers. Journalist Jim Atkinson, co-author of Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs, remarked that while there was outrage at the time, the local community often preferred to move past the incident quietly.

Robin Veith, creator of Hulus Candy, reflected on the challenges of portraying the story: We spoke to people on both sides, and even 40 years later, they remain firm in their beliefs. Memory is a tricky thing. She added, How you respond to this story says a lot about your own life and mindset at that moment. Thats both fascinating and unsettling.

Love and Death is now streaming on HBO Max and Netflix.

Author: Aiden Foster