{{Short description|American homemaker accused of murder (born 1949)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Candy Montgomery | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Candace Lynn Wheeler | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|11|15}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = | other_names = | spouse = {{marriage|Pat Montgomery|<!--unknown-->|1986|end=divorced}} | children = 2 | occupation = | years_active = | known_for = Killing of Betty Gore | module = {{Infobox criminal|child=yes | criminal_charge = First degree murder | conviction_penalty = | conviction_status = Acquitted | conviction = | trial = | trial_start = October 21, 1980 | trial_end = October 30, 1980 | victims = Betty Gore | date = June 13, 1980 | country = United States | states = Texas | locations = Wylie, Texas | apprehended = June 26, 1980 | imprisoned = }}}} '''Candace Lynn Montgomery''' (née '''Wheeler'''; born November 15, 1949) is an American woman who was accused of murdering her former lover's wife, Betty Gore. The killing took place in Wylie, Texas, on June 13, 1980. During the assault, Gore was struck 41 times with a wood splitting axe. Montgomery pleaded not guilty to charges of murder on the basis of self-defense, alleging that Gore confronted her about the affair she had with Gore's husband and attacked her with the axe. She was acquitted.
== Background == alt=Map: Collin County Texas Incorporated Areas Wylie highlighted|thumb|Location of Wylie in Collin County, Texas|350x350px Candace, who was 30 years old at the time of the incident,<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Duggan |first=Sonia |date=May 29, 2020 |title=Anniversary of an Axe Murder |url=https://inaroundmag.com/local/anniversary-of-an-ax-murder/ |work=In & Around |language=en-US |access-date=November 17, 2023}}</ref> was married to Pat Montgomery, an electrical engineer.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Benjamin H. |date=April 13, 2023 |title=Texas Church Lady Admits To Killing Friend With An Axe — And Still Gets Away With It |url=https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/what-happened-to-candy-montgomery-betty-gore |work=Oxygen |language=en-US |access-date=November 17, 2023}}</ref> The couple had two children—a daughter and son.<ref name=":0"/> They moved to Collin County, Texas, in 1977,<ref name=":0"/> where they regularly attended the Methodist Church of Lucas.<ref name=":0"/><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Atkinson |first=Jim |date=January 1984 |title=Love and Death in Silicon Prairie, Part I: Candy Montgomery's Affair |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/love-and-death-in-silicon-prairie-part-i-candy-montgomerys-affair/ |work=Texas Monthly |language=en-US |access-date=November 17, 2023}}</ref> Candace became close friends with Betty Gore, a middle school teacher,<ref name=":2"/> after meeting her at a church service.<ref name=":1"/> Gore lived nearby with her two children and her husband, Allan, with whom Candace engaged in an extramarital affair.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 30, 1980 |title=Affair had ended, suspect says|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102672798/affair-had-ended-suspect-says/ |page=3 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |access-date=May 28, 2022}}</ref>
On the day of Gore's killing, Allan Gore was out of town.<ref name=":2" /> 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 body.<ref name=":2" /> Her daughter, Bethany, who had been sleeping in her crib in another room at the time of the incident, was awake, crying and covered in her own feces as it had taken 13 hours for the body to be discovered.<ref name=":2"/>
The crime was investigated by Steve Deffibaugh with the Collin County Sheriff’s Department.<ref name=":2" />
== Trial == alt=Image of Old court house with cars parked outside|thumb|Old Collin County courthouse in McKinney, Texas, 2012
Candy Montgomery was represented by civil law attorney Don Crowder and defense attorney Robert Udashen.<ref name=":0"/> The trial, over which District Judge Tom Ryan was appointed to preside,<ref name=":3"/> was held in McKinney, Texas, and lasted eight days. Montgomery pleaded self-defense, alleging that she had defended herself after being attacked by Gore following a confrontation about Montgomery's affair with her husband, Allan.<ref name=":3"/><ref>{{Cite news |date=1980-10-30 |title=Verdict of not guilty stuns ax murder trial |page=1 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102672932/verdict-of-not-guilty-stuns-ax-murder/ |access-date=2022-05-28}}</ref> She stated that she was compelled to use an axe after Gore attempted to strike her moments before with the same weapon.<ref name=":3"/>
Montgomery underwent a polygraph test prior to the trial, which indicated that she was being truthful.<ref name=":3"/><ref>{{Cite news |date=October 28, 1980 |title=Witnesses say intent to kill missing |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102674109/witnesses-say-intent-to-kill-missing/ |page=1 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |language=en-US |access-date=May 28, 2022}}</ref> District attorney Tom O'Connell argued that Montgomery could have fled the scene instead of attacking Gore.<ref name=":3"/> He also argued that attacking 41 times was disproportionate.<ref name=":3"/> Montgomery was subsequently found not guilty on October 30, 1980, by a jury consisting of nine women and three men, after deliberating for just over 3 hours.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=October 30, 1980 |title=A jury decided Candace Montgomery was acting in self defence |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1980/10/30/A-jury-decided-Candace-Montgomery-was-acting-in-self/3030341730000/ |work=UPI}}</ref>
== Reaction after trial == The verdict received a great deal of criticism from the community.<ref name=":3"/> Crowds chanted, "Murderer! Murderer!" as Montgomery exited the courthouse following her acquittal.<ref name=":3"/> The victim's father, Bob Pomeroy, said: <blockquote>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.<ref name=":3"/><ref>{{Cite news |date=October 30, 1980 |title=Accused murderer found innocent in ax killing |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102672995/accused-murderer-found-innocent-in-ax/ |pages=5 |work=El Paso Herald-Post |language=en-US |access-date=May 28, 2022}}</ref></blockquote>
== Portrayal in media == A book examining the case and events following the trial, titled ''Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs'', was written by Dallas-based journalists John Bloom and Jim Atkinson. It was released in January 1984.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Tim |date=January 31, 2017 |title=Book About 1980 Wylie Axe Murder Is Re-released Digitally: Evidence of Love is a classic true crime tale |url=https://www.dmagazine.com/local-media/2017/01/book-about-1980-wylie-axe-murder-is-re-released-digitally/ |website=D Magazine |access-date=October 7, 2022}}</ref>
In the 1990 CBS TV movie ''A Killing in a Small Town'', based on the Montgomery case but with names changed, Barbara Hershey won the Emmy award and the Golden Globe award portraying the lead character, named Cathy Morrison.
Jessica Biel portrays Montgomery in the Hulu series ''Candy'', which debuted in May 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Longeretta |first=Emily |date=June 1, 2022 |title=How Jessica Biel Found Empathy for Candy Montgomery in Hulu Series: 'You're Still Kind of With Her at the End' |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/awards/jessica-biel-candy-hulu-adrien-brody-winning-time-1235272578/ |website=Variety |language=en-US |access-date=May 25, 2023}}</ref>
Montgomery is portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen in the HBO Max series ''Love & Death'', which debuted in April 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goodgame |first=Dan |date=February 2022 |title=Our New Partners in Video Storytelling |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-stand-up-desk/texas-monthly-new-partners/ |website=Texas Monthly |language=en-US |access-date=January 20, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Singer |first=Dan |date=October 27, 2021 |title=Hollywood plans to tell North Texas ax-killer's story. 41 years later, why we can't let it go |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/tv/2021/10/26/hollywood-plans-to-tell-wylie-ax-killers-story-41-years-later-why-cant-we-let-it-go/ |website=The Dallas Morning News |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montgomery, Candy}} Category:American people acquitted of murder Category:Murder in Texas Category:People from Texas Category:1949 births Category:Living people