Friday the 13th. June 1980. Most people in Wylie, Texas, were thinking about the heat or the upcoming Father’s Day weekend. Nobody expected a quiet suburban home to turn into a scene out of a slasher flick. But it did. When neighbors finally pushed open the door to the Gore residence, they found a nightmare. Betty Gore was dead, her body mutilated by 41 axe wounds. The person holding the axe? Her friend, fellow church member, and neighbor, Candy Montgomery.
If you've watched Love & Death on Max or Candy on Hulu, you've seen the dramatized version. But why did Candy kill Betty? Honestly, it’s one of the most bizarre and chilling cases in American legal history because it wasn't just about a "woman pushed to the brink." It was a collision of a boring suburban affair, deep-seated childhood trauma, and a survival instinct that kicked in with terrifying force.
The Affair That Started It All
You can’t talk about the killing without talking about Allan Gore. He was Betty’s husband. He was also Candy’s lover.
Candy Montgomery was bored. Extremely bored. She had the "perfect" life: a husband who made good money, two kids, a nice house. But she felt invisible. In late 1978, during a church volleyball game, she collided with Allan. Something clicked. Or maybe something just broke. Soon after, Candy literally walked up to Allan and asked, "Would you be interested in having an affair?"
They were practical about it. It’s kinda weird how logical they were. They met at a Motel 6. They brought their own lunches to save money. They had rules to make sure nobody got hurt. But feelings aren't logical. Eventually, Allan wanted to fix his marriage. Betty was pregnant, then she had the baby, and Allan decided to pull away from Candy. By the time that hot June morning rolled around, the affair had been over for months. Or so they thought.
That Deadly Morning on Dogwood Drive
On June 13, 1980, Candy stopped by Betty’s house. It was supposed to be a simple favor. Candy was picking up a swimsuit for Betty’s daughter, Alisa, who was staying over at the Montgomerys' house.
It should have taken five minutes.
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According to Candy’s testimony—which is the only version of events we actually have—the two women were making small talk when Betty suddenly went cold. She looked at Candy and asked the question that changed everything: "Candy, are you having an affair with Allan?"
Candy didn't lie. She said, "Yes, but it was a long time ago."
That’s when the axe came out. Betty went to the garage and returned with a three-foot long wood-cutting axe. She told Candy she never wanted to see her again. But then, as Candy tried to leave, a struggle broke out in the utility room.
The Trigger: Why 41 Times?
This is the part that still haunts true crime fans. If it was self-defense, why did she swing the axe 41 times? One or two hits might stop an attacker. Forty-one is an execution.
During the trial, the defense brought in a psychiatrist named Dr. Fred Fason. He hypnotized Candy and discovered something buried deep in her psyche. He claimed that when Betty Gore put her finger to her lips and told Candy to "Shhh" during the struggle, it triggered a "dissociative reaction."
The Childhood Connection
As a young child, Candy had suffered a traumatic injury. When she cried out in pain at the hospital, her mother reportedly shushed her harshly, telling her to suppress her emotions. Dr. Fason argued that Betty’s "shhh" acted as a psychic trigger. All the years of suppressed rage, the boredom of her marriage, and the fear of the current moment exploded.
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Candy wasn't just hitting Betty. She was hitting her own past.
She swung that axe until she was exhausted. She even took a shower in Betty’s bathroom to wash off the blood before going about the rest of her day like nothing happened. She went to Vacation Bible School. She ate lunch. She lived her life for days while Betty’s body lay in that utility room.
The Trial That Shocked Texas
When the trial started in October 1980, the town was convinced Candy was going to prison forever. The evidence was overwhelming. Her thumbprint was on the axe. Her footprint was in the blood.
But her lawyer, Don Crowder, was brilliant. He didn't argue that she didn't do it. He argued that she had to do it. He leaned heavily on the "shushing" trigger and the idea of self-defense. He pointed out that Betty was the one who brought the axe into the room.
The jury deliberated for less than four hours.
The verdict? Not guilty.
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People were furious. "Murderer! Murderer!" they yelled as she walked out of the courthouse. Even today, if you go to Wylie, the older generation still talks about it in hushed tones. They don't think justice was served. They see a woman who literally got away with murder because she had a good lawyer and a plausible, if strange, psychological excuse.
What Happened After the Verdict?
Candy didn't stay in Texas long. Can you blame her? She moved to Georgia and, in a strange twist of fate, reportedly became a family counselor. Betty’s husband, Allan, remarried quickly—actually, he married a woman he had been seeing during the period after Betty's death but before Candy's arrest.
The Gore children were eventually raised by Betty’s parents. The house on Dogwood Drive is still there. People live in it. Most of them probably have no idea what happened in that utility room.
Why This Case Still Sticks With Us
We're obsessed with Candy and Betty because it shatters the illusion of suburban safety. It suggests that your "nice" neighbor could be harboring a level of rage you can't even imagine. It forces us to ask: what would it take for us to snap?
The reality of why Candy killed Betty isn't found in a single motive. It wasn't just the affair. It wasn't just the axe. It was a perfect storm of:
- A crumbling sense of self.
- A sudden confrontation she wasn't prepared for.
- A prehistoric survival reflex.
- A psychological "short circuit" caused by repressed childhood trauma.
Whether you believe the jury got it right or think Candy Montgomery is a cold-blooded killer who played the system, the facts remain. One woman died a horrific death, and the other walked free to start a new life.
Practical Insights for True Crime Enthusiasts
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific case, skip the sensationalist blogs and go straight to the sources that provide the most context:
- Read "Evidence of Love": This book by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson is the definitive account. They interviewed everyone involved and it’s much more detailed than the TV shows.
- Check Court Transcripts: If you can find the archived Texas court records, the testimony from Dr. Fred Fason regarding the hypnosis sessions is fascinating from a forensic psychology standpoint.
- Analyze the "Shhh" Factor: Look into the concept of "dissociative rage" in legal defense. It has been used in other cases, though rarely as successfully as it was for Candy Montgomery.
- Visit the Texas Monthly Archives: They have original reporting from the 1980s that captures the local atmosphere in a way modern retellings often miss.