Candy Montgomery
![Map: Collin County Texas Incorporated Areas Wylie highlighted](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Collin_County_Texas_Incorporated_Areas_Wylie_highlighted.svg/220px-Collin_County_Texas_Incorporated_Areas_Wylie_highlighted.svg.png)
Candace "Candy" Lynn Montgomery (née Wheeler; born November 15, 1949) is an American homemaker. She was accused of murdering Betty Gore, the wife of her lover. The killing took place in Wylie, Texas, on June 13, 1980. During the assault, Gore was struck 41 times with a wood splitting axe.[1][2][3]
Background
Montgomery, who was 30 years old at the time of the incident,[3] was married to Pat Montgomery, an electrical engineer.[4] The couple had two children—a son and daughter.[4] They moved to Collin County, Texas, in 1977,[4] where they regularly attended the Methodist Church of Lucas.[4][5] Montgomery became close friends with Gore, a middle school teacher,[3] after meeting her at a church service.[5] Gore lived nearby with her two children and her husband, Allan, with whom Montgomery engaged in an extramarital affair.[3][6]
On the day of Gore's killing, her husband was out of town.[3] When he was unable to reach his wife on the telephone, he requested that their neighbors go to investigate. After forcing their way into the family residence, they discovered Gore's corpse.[3] Her daughter, Bethany, who had been sleeping in her crib in another room at the time of the incident, was awake and crying.[3]
The crime was investigated by Steve Deffibaugh with the Collin County Sheriff’s Department.[3]
Trial
![Image of Old court house with cars parked outside](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Old_Collin_County_Courthouse.jpg/220px-Old_Collin_County_Courthouse.jpg)
Candy Montgomery[7] was represented by civil law attorney Don Crowder and defense attorney Robert Udashen.[4] The trial, over which District Judge Tom Ryan was appointed to preside,[8] was held in McKinney, Texas, and lasted just eight days. Montgomery pled self-defense, alleging that she had defended herself after being attacked by Gore following a confrontation about Montgomery's affair with her husband, Allan.[8][9] She stated that she was compelled to use an axe after Gore attempted to strike her moments before with the same weapon.[8]
Montgomery underwent a polygraph test prior to the trial, which indicated that she was being truthful.[8][10] District attorney Tom O'Connell argued that Montgomery could have fled the scene instead of attacking Gore.[8] He also argued that attacking 41 times was disproportionate.[8] Montgomery was subsequently found not guilty on October 30, 1980, by a jury consisting of nine women and three men.[8]
Reaction after trial
The verdict received a great deal of criticism from the community.[8] Crowds chanted, "Murderer! Murderer!" as Montgomery exited the courthouse following her acquittal.[8] The victim's father, Bob Pomeroy, said:
As far as I'm concerned, justice will be served. She has to live with it ... I wouldn't say I was happy with the verdict. We don't know what happened and we never will know what happened.[8][11]
Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs, a book examining the case and events following the trial, written by Dallas-based journalists John Bloom and Jim Atkinson, was released in January 1984. [12]
Portrayal in film and television
The 1990 television movie A Killing in a Small Town is based on the case.
Jessica Biel plays Montgomery in the Hulu/ Disney + Star Original series Candy, which debuted in May 2022.[13]
Elizabeth Olsen will play Montgomery in the HBO Max series Love and Death, due for release in March 2023.[14]
References
- ^ "Hollywood plans to tell North Texas ax-killer's story. 41 years later, why we can't let it go". Dallas News. October 27, 2021.
- ^ Atkinson, Jim; Bloom, John (January 1984). "Love and Death in Silicon Prairie, Part I: Candy Montgomery's Affair". Texas Monthly. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Duggan, Sonia (May 29, 2020). "Anniversary of an Axe Murder". In Around Mag.
- ^ a b c d e Smith, Benjamin H. (January 16, 2022). "Texas Church Lady Admits To Killing Friend With An Axe — And Still Gets Away With It". Oxygen.
- ^ a b Atkinson, Jim (January 1984). "Love and Death in Silicon Prairie, Part I: Candy Montgomery's Affair".
- ^ "Affair had ended, suspect says". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. June 30, 1980. p. 3. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ AlphaNewscallAuthor (July 15, 2022). "Candy Montgomery: The Real Story of The Texas Ax Murderer". Alpha News Call. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "A jury decided Candace Montgomery was acting in self defence". UPI. October 30, 1980.
- ^ "Verdict of not guilty stuns ax murder trial". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 30, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ "Witnesses say intent to kill missing". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 28, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ "Accused murderer found innocent in ax killing". El Paso Herald-Post. October 30, 1980. p. 5. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ Rogers, Tim (January 31, 2017). "Book About 1980 Wylie Axe Murder Is Re-released Digitally: Evidence of Love is a classic true crime tale". D Magazine. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ Bahr, Sarah (January 17, 2022). "Melanie Lynskey on That Chilling 'Yellowjackets' Finale". The New York Times.
- ^ Goodgame, Dan (February 2022). "Our New Partners in Video Storytelling". Texas Monthly. Retrieved January 20, 2022.