Elizabeth Olsen’s portrayal in HBO Max’s Love & Death brought the story of Candy Montgomery back into the spotlight. The show ends with her shocking acquittal for the 1980 ax killing of her friend, Betty Gore. But for the real woman at the center of the story, that was just the beginning. Here is what happened to Candy Montgomery after the cameras stopped rolling and where her life led.
The Crime and Controversial Trial in Texas
The facts of the case are brutal and well-documented. On June 13, 1980, in the small town of Wylie, Texas, Candy Montgomery killed Betty Gore with a wood-splitting axe. During the assault, Gore was struck 41 times. Montgomery, however, claimed she acted in self-defense. She testified that Gore confronted her about the extramarital affair Montgomery had with Gore’s husband, Allan, and attacked her first with the axe.
Her defense team, led by attorney Don Crowder, presented a psychological argument. They enlisted a psychiatrist and hypnotist, Dr. Fred Fason, who testified that Montgomery experienced a “dissociative reaction” during the attack. The defense argued that a childhood trauma was triggered when Gore shushed her, sending Montgomery into a rage she could not control.
After an eight-day trial, a jury of nine women and three men deliberated for just over three hours. They found Candy Montgomery not guilty of murder on October 30, 1980. The verdict was deeply controversial. As Montgomery left the courthouse, crowds chanted, “Murderer! Murderer!” at her. Betty Gore’s father, Bob Pomeroy, told reporters, “As far as I’m concerned, justice will be served. She has to live with it”.
Leaving Texas for a Quiet Life in Georgia
The intense public scorn made it impossible for the Montgomery family to remain in Texas. Shortly after the trial, Candy and her husband, Pat, along with their two children, moved to the state of Georgia. Candy expressed a clear desire at the time to move on, telling the Dallas Morning News she wanted “to get all this behind me and be normal again”.
For a few years, the couple stayed together. However, the strain of the past events proved too great. Multiple reports indicate that Candy and Pat Montgomery divorced in 1986, a few years after relocating. Following the divorce, Candy reportedly began using her maiden name, Candace Wheeler.
A New Career and Life Out of the Spotlight
Candy Montgomery successfully rebuilt a quiet, private life far from the media attention of the trial. According to public records and reports, she obtained a license to work as a mental health counselor or therapist in Georgia. Her license was active under her maiden name from at least 1996 until it expired in 2012.
She has consistently refused to engage with the renewed interest in her case sparked by the television series. In 2000, when contacted by the Dallas Morning News for comment, she was firm, telling a reporter, “I’m telling you in big bold letters I’m not interested”. An anecdote from a blog covering the case illustrates her desire for privacy: a reporter once knocked on her door for an interview, and she answered holding a knife. She smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not dangerous” before presumably closing the door.
Now 72 years old, Candy Montgomery is believed to still be living in Georgia. She has maintained her life out of the public eye for over four decades.
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What Happened to the Others Involved
The lives of the other key figures in the tragedy also changed forever.
- Allan Gore, Betty’s husband, remarried after her death but that marriage also ended in divorce. He moved away from Texas and, according to some reports, now lives in Florida. His and Betty’s two daughters, Alisa and Bethany, were raised by Betty’s parents.
- Pat Montgomery, Candy’s ex-husband, also disappeared from public view after their divorce. Little is known about his life afterward, though one report suggests he later changed his first name to James.
- The Gore family home at 410 Dogwood Drive in Wylie, the scene of the crime, remains a point of public fascination. Despite its history, it has sold quickly on the real estate market in recent years, last selling in March 2022 after only four days on the market.
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