{"id":100952,"date":"2024-11-05T11:22:11","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T16:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=100952"},"modified":"2025-02-10T10:07:05","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T15:07:05","slug":"ultimate-soap-opera-the-bizarre-case-of-candy-montgomery-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/ultimate-soap-opera-the-bizarre-case-of-candy-montgomery-part-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate Soap Opera: The Bizarre Case of Candy Montgomery (part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, James Pylant concludes his story about the bizarre \u201cwhodunnit\u201d case of a slaying in small-town Texas. James is an editor at GenealogyMagazine.com and author for JacobusBooks.com, is an award-winning historical true-crime writer, and authorized celebrity biographer.<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1980, Dallas<\/em> became television\u2019s highest-rated series with J. R. Ewing\u2019s \u201cwhodunnit\u201d shooting. But some 30 miles northeast of Dallas, a grim, true-life \u201cwhodunnit\u201d drama unfolded at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas.<\/p>\n

For eight days in October, spectators crowded the courtroom to hear what the Dallas Morning News<\/em> called \u201cthe ultimate soap opera\u201d: Candace \u201cCandy\u201d Montgomery\u2019s trial for the ax-slaying of her former lover\u2019s wife, Betty Gore.<\/p>\n

The pool of prospective jurors for Candy Montgomery\u2019s murder trial were shocked on October 20 when her defense attorney, Don Crowder, admitted she killed Betty Gore \u2013 then made a stunning statement.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 21 October 1980, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reports:<\/p>\n

\u2026the 62 prospective jurors in Candace Montgomery\u2019s ax murder trial were stunned Monday as defense attorney Dan Crowder began to speak:<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Friday, June 13, Candace Montgomery killed Betty Gore. She did so with an ax. She did so in self-defense.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Crowder continued, two women in the jury panel had tears in their eyes. At the defense table, Mrs. Montgomery sat trembling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have quite a story to tell,\u201d Crowder told the shocked courtroom. \u201cYou haven\u2019t read it in the newspapers. Some of the things you will hear in this case are bizarre, and I don\u2019t have all the answers. But wouldn\u2019t you be suspicious if I did?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On October 21 Betty Gore\u2019s husband Allan, called to the stand, testified for nearly three hours with details about his ten-month affair with Candy.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 22 October 1980, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gore testified that their affair began in December 1978 and ended in October 1979 \u2013 eight months before his wife\u2019s death. Gore said Betty and Candy never had an argument, as far as he knew, and he couldn\u2019t think of a possible motive for Candy to kill his wife.<\/p>\n

The next day, October 22, three witnesses testified that on the morning of Friday the 13th, Candy finished reading a Bible story to a group of vacation Bible school children at United Methodist Church in Lucas and then left to go to the Gore home in nearby Wylie around 9:30 a.m. One witness recalled seeing Candy return two hours later.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 23 October 1980, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

None of the witnesses could recall if Candy had returned to the church wearing different clothing. Everyone agreed Candy seemed calm and emotionally stable upon her return (only hours after the killing), fitting defense attorney Don Crowder\u2019s description of Candy Montgomery as a tough, unemotional woman.<\/p>\n

The following day, October 23, was the trial\u2019s emotional climax as the accused took the stand and told a tearful account of her fateful visit to the Gore home.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 24 October 1980, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reports:<\/p>\n

Candace Montgomery sat motionless on the witness stand, driving her teeth into her lip, clenching her teeth, shutting her eyes to the world and the questions filling the courtroom.<\/p>\n

Her eyes swelled with tears and her cheeks glistened as she recalled the morning of June 13 when she and Betty Gore had an argument that led to two minutes of terror.<\/p>\n

\u201cI begged her, \u2018Betty, please stop, Betty please stop.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

But Mrs. Gore, a woman Mrs. Montgomery had never seen enraged, grabbed the ax and said only, \u201cShhh, shhh,\u201d hushing her eerily, Mrs. Montgomery testified.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to kill you,\u201d Mrs. Montgomery remembered hearing Mrs. Gore say.<\/p>\n

They fought for the ax, which became slick with the blood of both women during the struggle. Mrs. Montgomery wrestled it loose and swung it once, hitting Mrs. Gore on the right side of her head. Mrs. Gore dropped to the floor.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Gore got up as Mrs. Montgomery rushed to the door of the utility room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ran to the utility room door to get out,\u201d Mrs. Montgomery said. \u201cBut she threw her body against it. I begged her, \u2018Betty, let me go. Betty, let me go.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Gore slipped on the blood-stained linoleum floor and Mrs. Montgomery grabbed the ax one more time.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe came rushing at me,\u201d Mrs. Montgomery blurted out.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you know then you\u2019d have to kill her?\u201d her attorney, Don Crowder, asked Mrs. Montgomery.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hit her. I hit her. I hit her. And I hit her,\u201d Mrs. Montgomery said, her voice trembling.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe fell slowly, almost to a sitting position.<\/p>\n

\u201cI kept hitting her. And hitting her. I stood back and looked at myself and I was covered in blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt so guilty, so dirty. I felt so ashamed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Montgomery sat on the witness stand, her chest heaving, her face contorted to hold back tears.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Several psychiatrists testified during the trial.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
San Antonio News (San Antonio, Texas), 27 October 1980, page 13<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dallas psychiatrist Dr. Maurice S. Green testified that Candy experienced a \u201cdissociative reaction\u201d to the killing. Candy, he said, \u201cwas aware she was hacking Betty Gore to death,\u201d but \u201ceverything seemed to be in slow motion\u2026 almost like she was a spectator.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Fred Fason, a Houston psychiatrist, testified that Candy detailed the deadly confrontation under hypnosis on August 27. Dr. Fason echoed Dr. Green\u2019s opinion about Candy\u2019s dissociated state.<\/p>\n

After deliberating for just over three hours, the nine-woman, three-man jury returned a verdict of not guilty. Candy, sitting at the defense table, trembled, clenched her hands in her lap, and stared straight ahead as the verdict was read.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Laredo Times (Laredo, Texas), 30 October 1980, page 8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe ultimate soap opera\u201d mesmerized Hollywood, and Candy appeared on television interpreted by three actresses. In 1990, Barbara Hersey depicted her in \u201cA Killing in a Small Town,\u201d winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Mini-Series or Special from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The film also received three Emmy Award nominations. Jessica Biel had the starring role in \u201cCandy,\u201d a 2022 Hulu miniseries. Elizabeth Olsen was Candy\u2019s portrayer in the seven-part 1993 HBO Max series \u201cLove & Death.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The
The three faces of Candy: Barbara Hershey, Jessica Biel, and Elizabeth Olsen have depicted Candy Montgomery on film. Credit: Shutterstock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All three film depictions were based on the same book, Jim Atkinson and John Bloom\u2019s Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs<\/em> (1984). The authors acknowledged the contributions of Candace Montgomery and Allan Gore. \u201cBoth submitted to dozens of hours of interviews\u201d and gave the authors access to letters and diaries.<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> Sherlock Holmes investigates a mystery.
\nIllustration credit: https:\/\/depositphotos.com\/home.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Related Article:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n