The True Story Behind 'Love & Death's' Grisly Ax Murder (2024)

HBO Max's Love & Death is the latest true crime adaptation to grace our screens, and it's bound to shock even the most seasoned armchair detectives. Based upon true events, Love & Death tells the story of Candy Montgomery (Elizabeth Olsen), a churchgoing mother who commits a heinous crime against her friend, Betty Gore (Lily Rabe).

In 2022, Hulu debuted Candy, an adaptation of the shocking real-life tale, starring Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey in the lead roles. With Love & Death, HBO Max is giving viewers another angle on the story, which will likely delight true crime aficionados everywhere.

Here, we examine the truth behind why Candy Montgomery killed her friend Betty Gore with an ax, and what happened next.

An ax murder in a quiet neighborhood.

On June 13, 1980, the body of Betty Gore was found in the utility room of her suburban home at 410 Dogwood Drive in Wylie, per In & Around. The mother-of-two had been killed with an ax, after being hit 41 times with the weapon, People reported. According to UPI, the 30-year-old Gore was a fifth-grade teacher, making her death all the more shocking as she was a well-liked member of the community.

Local residents were understandably horrified by the discovery. At the time, Collin County sheriff's deputy Steve Deffibaugh told People, "It looked like a scene from a horror film ... It was a Friday the 13th. Our thought was that we had a copycat of the movie The Shining."

The murder weapon, a three-foot ax with a wooden handle, was found close to Gore's body, per Texas Monthly. As Gore had been hit with the instrument 41 times, the murder scene was exceedingly brutal.

Betty's husband, Allan Gore, was away on business at the time of her death, and he started to worry when he couldn't get through to his wife on the phone, per In & Around. As reported by Texas Monthly, Allan called Candy to find out if she knew anything about Betty's whereabouts, and to check on his daughter, Alisa, who Candy had been babysitting. Per the publication, Candy told Allan that Betty had been "fine" earlier that day, saying, "She did act like she was in a hurry for me to leave."

Allan would also call a neighbor three times throughout the evening, eventually persuading him to break in to check on Betty, per Texas Monthly. Tragically, neighbors "discovered the [Gore's] baby, crying and filthy, after hours of being alone, and a butchered mom," via In & Around. It would soon transpire that Candy Montgomery was the last person to see Gore alive, per Texas Monthly.

Candy Montgomery had a motive.

As the murder had been extremely violent, and involved a three-foot ax, police reportedly didn't consider Candy Montgomery to be a suspect at first. "The police ... could not believe that anyone as small as Candy Montgomery had the physical strength to wield that ax so brutally," Texas Monthly reported. "Even as their suspicions about her grew, they found it hard to believe that this pretty, vivacious, utterly normal suburban housewife could make such a vicious attack." Basically, because Montgomery was a mother, a churchgoer, and friendly with just about everyone in town, it was difficult to imagine her killing anyone. However, Montgomery had a motive.

According to People, Montgomery had an affair with Betty's husband, Allan, which started after some flirting at a church volleyball game. At the time, Betty was pregnant with her second child, and Candy reportedly threw a baby shower for her, per People. Before Montgomery and Allan started sleeping together, they allegedly set out some rigid rules, so as not to get caught or hurt their spouses. Most importantly, the pair stipulated that they wouldn't get "emotionally involved," and if either of them started catching feelings, the affair would have to end, per Texas Monthly.

On December 12, 1978, Montgomery and Allan met at a motel and consummated their affair, via Texas Monthly. The affair continued throughout 1979, until Allan and Betty decided to attend a marriage counseling camp, which made Allan realize that he wanted to save his marriage, Texas Monthly reported. According to the publication, Allan would tell Candy, "The relationship with you is taking away some of the emotional involvement and energy that I could direct toward Betty and the kids," and the pair would end their illicit affair.

After her romance with Allan ended, Montgomery's life continued as normal, and she reportedly refocused on her own marriage to husband Pat, per Texas Monthly. But there was no escaping the Gores, as they moved in the same church circles as the Montgomerys, and their children were friends (via In & Around). Any feelings Candy may have had for Allan likely bubbled below the surface as the two families went about their lives.

Per Texas Monthly, after Betty's murder, Allan revealed details of the affair to police, which led to Candy being arrested. Allan reportedly explained that the affair had stopped approximately seven months prior to Betty's death, which gave Candy a motive to kill, via Texas Monthly. After initially denying the allegations, Candy would turn herself in, 13 days after Betty's death, according to UPI.

Why did Candy Montgomery kill Betty Gore?

On June 13, 1980, Candy Montgomery had gone to the Gore residence to pick up a swimsuit for Betty's daughter Alisa, and to ask if she could stay another night at the Montgomery residence, per In & Around. As reported by Bustle, Montgomery would also reveal that Alisa wanted to join her kids to watch Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back at the movies. However, during what should have been a brief conversation, things reportedly turned ugly between the two women.

While preparing for trial, Montgomery's lawyer enlisted the help of Dr. Fred Fason to uncover why the housewife had snapped, per Texas Monthly. The publication noted that, under hypnosis, Montgomery claimed that Betty had confronted her about the affair with Allan. In Montgomery's account, Betty allegedly left the room and returned with the ax, telling her former friend not to see her husband again. According to Texas Monthly, Betty put the ax down, and the pair engaged in pleasantries about their children, and what Alisa would need for her swimming lesson. According to Montgomery (via Texas Monthly), she apologized to Betty for the affair, which only caused the mother-of-two to become angry, pick up the ax, and allegedly utter, "I’ve got to kill you."

A struggle reportedly ensued. Per Texas Monthly, "The flat side of the blade slapped against the side of Candy’s bobbling head," causing her to bleed. Betty allegedly swung the ax down, gashing Montgomery's toe in the process. According to Texas Monthly, Montgomery managed to take control of the ax, and a violent episode occurred, leaving Betty dead.

One of the most chilling details of the chase involves what Montgomery did after the murder. Per The Dallas Morning News, Montgomery took a shower in the Gore's bathroom, left Betty's one-year-old baby in the house alone, then seemingly continued with her day as if nothing had happened. Texas Monthly reported that Montgomery returned home to shower, change her bloody clothes, and soak her shirt in the sink. According to Texas Monthly, she subsequently picked up her children, and Alisa Gore, from Bible camp, and waited for her husband Pat to finish work so they could go to the movies.

The jury's surprising decision.

Along with her own confession, and a very clear motive, the evidence against Montgomery began to mount. For instance, investigators found Montgomery's hair in the Gore's shower drain, along with her blood at the scene, per In & Around. However, in court, Montgomery appeared to have a very good defense.

Montgomery's psychiatrist, Dr. Fason, claimed that she had committed the grievous act during a "dissociative reaction," stemming from unresolved anger in her childhood, per The Dallas Morning News. On the stand, Montgomery would admit to killing her friend, claiming that she'd done so in self-defense, per Texas Monthly. The publication also noted, "Candy was intelligent, attractive, direct, she handled herself well, and she used the best possible explanation, the 'I freaked out' excuse."

The jury took less than five hours to make a decision, acquitting Montgomery of all murder charges, making her a free woman, via The Dallas Morning News.

Where is Candy Montgomery now?

According to Marie Claire Australia, Montgomery relocated to Georgia after the trial with husband Pat and their family. Per the publication, the couple would reportedly split "four years later," and Candy reverted back to using her maiden name, Wheeler. Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reported that Candy has since retrained and is now working as a mental health therapist.

Watch Love & Death on HBO Max now.