The HBO Max mini-series Love & Death — later released on Netflix — dives into one of the most shocking true crime cases to ever hit small-town Texas. At the center of it all is Candy Montgomery, a woman who looked like the perfect suburban mom living in Wylie, Texas… until everything changed.
Candy was married to Pat Montgomery and raising two children. To friends from church, she seemed friendly, active, and put-together. But behind the scenes, Candy felt life had become dull and predictable. In 1977, the family moved into what she thought would be her dream home in the country, yet the excitement didn’t last. Candy wanted something more.
That “something more” appeared in 1978 at her local Methodist church — a man named Allan Gore. Allan and his wife Betty were also members of the congregation, and Betty soon became one of Candy’s close friends. But Candy started feeling a spark with Allan, especially after the two collided during a church volleyball game. She later admitted she found him attractive and couldn’t stop thinking about him.
Eventually, Candy told Allan exactly how she felt. Although he initially tried to shut the idea down — Betty was newly pregnant at the time — the two eventually agreed to have an affair. They laid out strict rules: no emotions, no drama, and if either one developed deeper feelings, it would end. The secret relationship continued for months, even after Betty gave birth to their second child. But things at home started improving for Allan, and he finally called it off to give his marriage another chance.
Then, everything took a violent turn.
The Day Everything Fell Apart
On June 13, 1980, while Allan was out of town on business, Betty stopped answering his calls. Worried, he phoned neighbors to check on her. When they entered the Gore home, they found Betty dead near the utility room. Their baby, Bethany, had been in her crib for hours.
What shocked everyone later was the brutality of the attack: Betty had been struck with an axe 41 times.
Candy had been babysitting Allan and Betty’s older daughter that same day. When police began looking at the timeline, Candy was the last person known to have seen Betty alive. Her story initially held up — until Allan admitted to the affair. Investigators suddenly had a motive.
Candy was arrested later that month and charged with murder. Her defense team brought in a psychiatrist who claimed Candy had deep-rooted trauma from childhood. Under hypnosis, she began to recover memories of what happened that day.
When she testified, Candy said Betty confronted her about the affair, then picked up an axe in the utility room. Candy claimed they fought, scrambled for control of the weapon, and in a burst of fear and rage, she struck Betty over and over — stopping only when she had nothing left in her physically.
Her defense argued it was self-defense pushed to the extreme.
On October 29, 1980, the jury found Candy not guilty.
What Happened After the Trial?
The verdict stunned the community, and Candy slipped away from the spotlight soon after. She and Pat eventually moved to Georgia, where she went on to work as a family counselor. The two later divorced, and Candy has avoided interviews and media attention ever since.
Meanwhile, Betty’s two daughters were raised by her parents in Kansas. Allan remarried but also later divorced, and today very few people connected to the case speak publicly about it.
Why the Story Still Fascinates
Candy Montgomery’s story combines so many elements that still grip true-crime audiences — an affair, hidden suburban tension, a shocking burst of violence, and a courtroom twist no one saw coming. It’s exactly the kind of case that makes people wonder what really goes on behind perfectly trimmed lawns and polite smiles.
That’s what Love & Death brings to life — the idea that even the most ordinary homes can hide the darkest secrets.