True crime stories often have a way of catching the public’s attention like no other stories can. Series like Hulu’s The Girl From Plainville are big hits because they peel the layers away on cases that seem too strange to be true. This past spring Hulu added one more true crime tale to their ever-growing library.
The series Candy premiered in May 2022 and is based on the true story behind the 1980 death of Betty Gore. A young mother and housewife, Betty was the last person anyone in the small town of Wylie, Texas believed would be the target of a vicious killing. Yet on June 13, 1980 Betty Gore was brutally slain by none other than another suburban housewife named Candace Montgomery. The subsequent trial that unfolded shocked a small town and left many feeling that, for Betty, justice wasn’t served.
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Though They Were Both Married, Candace ‘Candy’ Montgomery Initiated An Affair With Allan Gore In 1978
Candace ‘Candy’ Montgomery was a married suburban housewife in her late twenties with two children who lived in Wylie, Texas. She was a devout church goer, friendly, and outgoing. Under her bubbly exterior, though, she was sexually frustrated and dreamt of having a more thrilling and exciting life. Specifically, she fantasized about having a steamy affair and in her own words admitted: “I want fireworks.”
Candy decided to turn this fantasy into reality on a summer night in 1978 while playing a game of volleyball with other fellow church-goers. While playing, she bumped into Allan Gore, a married man from her church, and decided that she liked his scent.
In the following weeks, Allan and Candy began talking more, and subtle smiles and flirting began creeping into their interactions. One night after choir practice Candy decided to approach Allan and directly propose her idea of an affair. She got into the passenger seat of his car and told him:
I’ve been thinking about you a lot and it’s really bothering me and I don’t know whether I want you to do anything about it or not. I’m very attracted to you and I’m tired of thinking about it and so I wanted to tell you.
While not explicitly saying the word “affair,” Allan knew what Candy was proposing and was flattered. He was drawn to Candy, who was the complete opposite of his wife, Betty. A week after this conversation, Allan and Candy stayed behind after another church volleyball game and once again found themselves sitting in Allan’s car when Candy point blank asked Allan if he’d be interested in having an affair.
Initially, Allan expressed that he was attracted to Candy but wasn’t fully comfortable cheating on his wife. However, as the weeks went by and Allan thought about it more and more he eventually came to a decision. He called Candy on her 29th birthday and asked her to meet him. They discussed the possibility of having an affair. After several days of thinking things through, Allan unknowing sealed his and Candy’s future by calling her and saying:
I’ve decided I want to go ahead with it.
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Photo: Candy / Hulu
Candy And Allan Had Strict Rules For Their Affair
Candy and Allan were nothing if not meticulous in the planning of their affair. It had taken week after week of conversations for Allan to agree to Candy’s proposal, then it took several more weeks of establishing ground rules for their affair for them to fully commit to it.
They went as far as to create a board where they would write reasons why and why not to have an affair. After establishing they would move forward with their tryst, they created several rules to which both parties had to agree. Among these rules were the following:
- Either party could end the affair at any time – no questions asked
- All expenses – motel rooms, food, gas – would be split equally among them
- They would meet only on weekdays
- Candy would provide lunch on the days they met to help save time since they were meeting on Allan’s lunch break
- They would meet on a Tuesday or Thursday once every two weeks
- If either person became too emotionally involved the affair would end
After creating an extensive list of rules and planning out every detail of the affair, Candy and Allan decided to set a date for the tryst to officially begin: December 12, 1978.
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On June 13, 1980, Candy Went To Betty Gore’s House To Pick Up A Bathing Suit For Her Daughter
Betty Gore and Candy Montgomery both had daughters who were close in age. The girls, Alisa and Bethany, befriended each other and often spent time with one another. On the night of Thursday, June 12, 1980, the girls were allowed to have a sleepover at the Montgomerys’ home. The following morning, on June 13th, Betty’s daughter Alisa was invited by the Montgomerys to spend the rest of the day with them. Alisa had a swim lesson that day and Candy offered to pick up her bathing suit and take her to her lesson since she was already spending the day with them.
Candy called Betty on the morning of June 13th and asked if she could pick up a bathing suit for Alisa that morning. Betty agreed. The events that unfolded after Candy went into the Gore residence became the subject of the subsequent trial. What is known is that Candy was able to retrieve Alisa’s swimsuit and took the little girl to her lesson after Betty had been killed.
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Photo: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection / University of Texas at Arlington Libraries / CC-BY-NC 4.0
Allan Was Out Of Town On A Work Trip When He Asked Neighbors To Check On His Wife
On the weekend of June 13, 1980, Allan had left town to go on a business trip to Minnesota. Betty was unhappy about it; she struggled with being left alone whenever Allan had a work trip.
Allan knew he would have to be in constant contact with Betty to keep her at ease. Once he arrived at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport he called her prior to boarding his flight but didn’t receive an answer. He called Betty again after landing in Minnesota and still no answer. Even if Betty was upset by his trip, it was unlike her to not answer for such a long amount of time. Knowing that Betty needed constant communication from him, this worried Allan. By that evening he was bordering on panic.
Worried, Allan decided to call a neighbor, Richard Parker, and said:
Richard, this is Allan Gore. Sorry to bother you, but I’m out of town and I’ve been trying to get Betty on the phone. I think the phone must be out of order. Would you mind knocking on the door over there just to see if she’s home?
Parker went over to the Gore residence and knocked on the door several times and waited but no answer came. Allan hesitantly accepted Parker’s information. Several hours passed and with still no reply from Betty. Allan called Parker again and asked if he could check again. Nothing came of checking again. Allan then called the hospitals in the area, believing the baby could be sick. After still not getting any useful information on Betty’s whereabouts Allan called Parker for a third time.
This time Parker did notice that there was a second car in the garage, which changed his previous belief that Betty could be out. It was just pulled so far in he had initially missed it. In combination with the lights being on in the house and the dogs incessant whining, Parker began to conclude that something was wrong. Allan eventually told Parker:
I want you to go and get in that house any way you can.
Parker and two other neighbors Allan had called made their way to the Gore residence and shockingly enough found that the front door was unlocked. Disturbed, they made their way into the home.
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Photo: Candy / Hulu
Betty Was Found Dead After Having Been Struck With An Ax 41 Times
When Allan’s neighbors entered the Gore residence, they immediately knew that something was wrong. The men entered the home, and as they began turning lights on they heard the Gores’ baby, Bethany, begin wailing. Parker checked in on the baby, who had been in her crib all day not having been fed or changed. He took her to his home where he proceeded to call 911. The other two men continued checking the home and eventually found a gruesome scene in the home’s washroom: the bludgeoned body of Betty Gore.
The washroom floor was covered in Betty’s blood, and she herself was nearly unrecognizable. Betty was so horribly disfigured, the men initially thought she’d been shot. However, a large heavy ax found a few feet away from the body revealed a much more grisly cause of death.
Upon examination of the body, Betty was found to have been struck with the ax 41 times. Some cuts were so deep they nearly severed limbs.
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Allan Was Initially A Suspect, But A Shoe Print Showed The Killer Was Smaller In Stature
In many cases, authorities look to those closest to the victim first. In Betty’s case, Allan was initially suspected. This belief didn’t hold long. Investigators found a bloody shoe print at the scene, which became one of the most well-known pieces of evidence in the case. The shoe print was much too small to belong to Allan. Yet, the murder weapon was a 3-feet long ax that initially seemed to be way too big and heavy for a petite woman like Candy to hold and wield. A Collin County investigator at the scene said that based on the footprint alone:
We were looking for someone small in stature, whether it was a child or a woman
Candy entered the suspect list because she herself admitted to seeing Betty alive earlier in the day. Investigators were quick to learn that she was the last person to see Betty alive. Allan later told detectives that he had engaged in an affair with Candy. Candy admitted to the affair but continued to claim her innocence. Things quickly changed when further evidence tying Candy to the crime scene was found. Further investigation revealed Candy’s blood and handprints at the scene. The print matched Candy and she was arrested nearly two weeks after Betty’s murder.
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Photo: Candy / Hulu
After Betty Gave Birth To Allan’s Second Daughter, The Affair Between Candy And Allan Ended
Allan and Candy began their affair in December 1978. They spent months meeting up in motels during Allan’s lunch hour and exchanging secret glances in church. Things changed in July 1979, when Betty gave birth to her and Allan’s second child – a girl they named Bethany.
A second baby proved to be very overwhelming and difficult for Betty, who began struggling with depression and high blood pressure. It became necessary for Allan to spend more time at home helping his wife. This caused a strain between Candy and himself. Adding to this tension was the fact that Candy had admitted that she had begun having feelings for Allan.
Allan, on the other hand, wanted to improve his relationship with Betty. Shortly after Bethany’s birth, he and Betty decided to attend Marriage Encounter, a church-based marriage counseling program. Their efforts proved successful, and soon after beginning sessions, Allan ended his affair with Candy, which she seemingly took well.
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Photo: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection / University of Texas at Arlington Libraries / CC-BY-NC 4.0
Candy Hired Lawyer Don Crowder, A Civil Attorney Who Had Never Handled A Criminal Case Before
Don Crowder was a Texas native who was known to be strong-willed and stubborn. Both he and Candy attended the same church, and through this and various church activities became acquainted. When Candy was questioned by police and began seeing the evidence pile up against her, she turned to Crowder for help. Crowder agreed to be her lawyer and enlisted the help of criminal defense attorney Robert Udashen.
Prior to Candy’s case, Crowder had only litigated civil suits mainly focusing on personal injury and workers comp. A friend of his described Crowder by claiming:
When he was your lawyer, he was a passionate advocate for you. When he was your opponent, he was tenacious.
This proved true as Crowder used every trick he could think of to defend Candy. Most infamously, his methods included purposely misinforming the media and ultimately being fined and arrested for doing so. Crowder’s decision to plead self-defense and bring in a hypnotist initially seemed absurd, but was key in Candy’s case.
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Betty And Candy Had A Complicated Friendship Prior To Betty’s Death
From how they were described, Betty and Candy seemed as different as night and day. Candy was known as outgoing, vivacious, and bold. She was very social and very involved in her church – often leading choir practices and participating in volleyball games with other church congregants. By contrast, Betty was reportedly dour, reclusive, and often complained about minor things. She didn’t have many friends, and even though she was a school teacher, she found it very difficult, because she was unable to deal with unruly children. She dealt with various health issues and was afraid of being left alone when Allan went on work trips.
Candy and Betty met through their church, and having daughters close in age brought them together. The women seemed comfortable around each other, something that was often difficult for Betty to feel around other women. They formed a tentative friendship. As time went on, Candy even decided to throw a baby shower for Betty in June 1979. The shower was a success and Betty seemed to finally be coming out of her shell with Candy’s help, though it still proved difficult for her to be social.
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Photo: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection / University of Texas at Arlington Libraries / CC-BY-NC 4.0
At Her Trial, Candy Told The Jury She’d Killed Betty In Self-Defense, After Betty Confronted Her With An Ax
Candy and her legal defense initially claimed that she hadn’t done the deed. When evidence against Candy piled up, they changed their defense tactic. When Candy took the stand in late 1980, she told the jury that she had taken the ax and struck Betty out of self defense.
The only version of events that the public has is based on Candy’s testimony. Candy alleged that on the day she went to pick up Alisa’s swimsuit, Betty confronted her about the affair. Candy admitted to it and then claimed that Betty grabbed an ax and threatened her, ordering her to stay away from Allan.
Candy went on to explain that Betty swung at her and they began to fight over the ax, which resulted in Candy receiving several injuries. Candy said she was ultimately able to wrangle the ax from Betty’s grasp and alleged that out of fear for her life and in a moment of dissociation she began to strike Betty. Candy struck Betty a total of 41 times, including 28 blows to her face.
After killing Betty, Candy showered at the Gore residence, attempted to care for her own wounds, grabbed Alisa’s swimsuit, and went back to meet the kids at Bible school. She left the Gore residence dripping wet while baby Bethany wailed. This information, along with the question of whether striking another person with an ax 41 times was reasonable in an act of self defense, became a focal point.
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Photo: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection / University of Texas at Arlington Libraries / CC-BY-NC 4.0
The Defense Argued Candy Had Entered A Dissociative State After Betty Shushed Her
During the trial, Candy alleged that after the women had conversed about the affair and after being threatened with the ax, Betty refused to let her leave the home. As Candy continued to beg Betty to calm down and let her leave, Betty supposedly shushed her. At this point, Candy had gained control of the ax, and when she heard Betty say “Shh,” she claimed she lost control and began to strike her continuously.
On October 27, 1980, Dr. Fred Fason, a psychiatrist who had been evaluating Candy, took the stand and claimed that when Betty shushed Candy a traumatic childhood incident was brought to the surface. This memory supposedly pushed Candy into a dissociative state that triggered a violent outburst.
Dr. Fason had placed Candy under hypnosis prior to the trial and discovered that Candy had suffered an accident as a child which forced her mother to take her to the hospital. Candy’s mother had continually shushed Candy despite the pain she was in, telling Candy:
Ssshhh, what will they think of you in the waiting room?
The defense claimed Candy was raised to always be aware of what others thought of her and it prompted a lifetime of suppressed emotions. They claimed her inner rage was unleashed in a moment of mental lapse when Candy was once again shushed by Betty.
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Photo: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection / University of Texas at Arlington Libraries / CC-BY-NC 4.0
After Her Acquittal, Candy Changed Her Name And Left Texas, Later Divorcing Her Husband Pat
On October 29, 1980, the jury acquitted Candy of murder and manslaughter charges. The jury heard closing arguments and made their decision that very same day, deliberating only for a few hours. Despite Candy’s admission of having killed Betty, her attempts at covering up evidence, and leaving with no apparent concern for Betty’s baby, the jury felt she had truly suffered a mental lapse.
Betty’s brother, Richard Pomeroy told the media:
I don’t think justice was served in the least bit. I think it was a murder.
Candy’s husband, Pat, stood by Candy the entire trial despite learning she had been unfaithful multiple times and had indeed killed Betty. After the trial, the Montgomerys found it was too difficult to stay in their small town and moved to Georgia. The last known information about Candy Montgomery is that she and Pat got divorced and that she went back to using her maiden name and pursued a career as a mental health counselor.
Candy continues to live in Georgia and was contacted by producers for the Hulu show, but said she was not interested in speaking to anyone.
