On June 13, 1980, a brutal killing inside a quiet suburban home in Wylie, Texas, shocked the nation. Thirty-year-old schoolteacher Betty Gore was found dead in the utility room of her residence, having suffered 41 devastating blows from a three-foot wood-splitting axe. The subsequent investigation and trial of her friend and neighbor, Candace "Candy" Montgomery, laid bare a web of suburban infidelity, religious community pressure, and one of the most controversial self-defense claims in American legal history.
The primary search intent surrounding this historic case centers on understanding the exact sequence of events on that Friday the 13th, the mechanics of the defense strategy, and how a jury ultimately acquitted a defendant who admitted to striking fatal blows 41 times. This deep dive examines the background of the case, the physical evidence, the trial arguments, and the lingering questions that continue to fascinate true crime researchers decades later.
The Background: Friendship, Faith, and an Affair
To understand how the tragedy occurred, investigators had to look at the close-knit social fabric of Wylie, Texas, in the late 1970s. Both the Gores (Betty and her husband Allan) and the Montgomerys (Candy and her husband Pat) were active members of the First United Methodist Church of Lucas, participating in community events, church choirs, and local volleyball leagues.
In late 1978, Candy Montgomery and Allan Gore struck up a conversation during a volleyball game that evolved into a mutual attraction. After months of planning, they began a calculated extramarital affair that lasted roughly from December 1978 to October 1979.
- The Ground Rules: The pair established rigid rules to protect their respective marriages, agreeing to break off the relationship if feelings grew too complicated.
- The Termination: Allan ultimately decided to end the affair in the fall of 1979 after attending a religious retreat with Betty, choosing to focus on repairing his marriage and welcoming their second child.
- The Aftermath: Unlike many affairs that end in bitter acrimony, Candy and Allan maintained a polite acquaintance, and Candy even remained friendly with Betty, helping care for the Gores' older daughter.
The Events of June 13, 1980
On the morning of Friday, June 13, 1980, Allan Gore left on a business trip to Minnesota. Before leaving, he spoke briefly with his wife. Later that day, Candy visited the Gore home to pick up a swimsuit for Betty's older daughter, who had spent the previous night sleeping over at the Montgomery house.
What happened inside the house during that morning visit was known entirely through Candy Montgomery's testimony, as Betty Gore was the only other adult present.
According to Candy's account on the witness stand, Betty confronted her about the past affair with Allan. Candy acknowledged that the relationship had happened but insisted it was long over. Betty allegedly left the room, retrieved a three-foot wood-splitting axe from the garage, and ordered Candy to stay away from her husband.
Candy claimed that Betty later placed the axe down to gather items for her daughter, but when Candy attempted to leave and expressed sympathy by touching Betty's arm, Betty snapped. A violent physical struggle ensued in the utility room. Candy testified that Betty struck her with the sharp edge of the axe, cutting her toe and grazing her head. During the frantic wrestle for control of the heavy weapon, Candy managed to wrench the axe away.
When Candy tried to flee, Betty allegedly blocked her path and whispered a single word: "Shhh." At that exact moment, Candy testified, a wave of panic and past trauma overtook her, leading her to swing the axe repeatedly.
The Discovery and Police Investigation
When Allan Gore arrived in Minnesota, he tried repeatedly to call his home throughout the evening of June 13, but the phone rang unanswered. Growing increasingly anxious, he contacted neighbors in Wylie to check on the house.
- The Discovery: Neighbors Richard Parker and Lester Stout went to the Gore residence, forced open a door, and entered the horrifying scene. They discovered Betty's body in the utility room, surrounded by massive amounts of blood.
- The Child Left Behind: In another part of the house, the Gores' nearly one-year-old daughter, Bethany, was found crying in her crib. She had been left alone unattended for roughly 13 hours, sitting in a soiled diaper as investigators later pieced together the timeline.
- Initial Suspicions: Local law enforcement officers from the Collin County Sheriff's Department initially suspected an outside prowler or random intruder. However, the investigation shifted dramatically when Allan Gore confessed to detectives about his previous affair with Candy Montgomery.
- Physical Evidence: Investigators discovered Candy's fingerprint matching a bloody print at the scene, along with shoe impressions linked to her vehicle. Two weeks after the murder, on June 26, 1980, Candy turned herself in and was charged with first-degree murder.
The Trial and the Self-Defense Strategy
The trial opened in October 1980 at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas, presided over by District Judge Tom Ryan. The defense team, led by attorney Don Crowder, made a bold legal calculation: they admitted that Candy killed Betty, but argued she did so entirely in self-defense.
The prosecution faced a massive hurdle under Texas law, which required the state to disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt once the defense raised it. Nevertheless, prosecutors argued that 41 blows with an axe could never constitute lawful self-defense. Medical examiner testimony established that 40 of the 41 strikes were delivered while Betty's heart was still beating, though she likely lost consciousness early in the onslaught.
The Psychiatric and Hypnosis Testimony
To bridge the gap between self-defense and the extreme number of wounds, the defense introduced psychiatric testimony from Dr. Fred Fason.
Dr. Fason had placed Candy under hypnosis prior to trial. He testified that when Betty Gore whispered "Shhh," it triggered a repressed childhood memory from when Candy was four years old—an incident where she had injured herself and her mother shushed her while receiving medical care. According to the defense expert, this triggered a dissociative fugue state, causing Candy to lose conscious control and strike out blindly in a frenzy of survival panic.
While the clinical validity of the hypnosis session was debated by legal experts, it provided the jury with a psychological framework to rationalize the shocking brutality of the 41 blows.
The Verdict and Community Fallout
On October 30, 1980, after deliberating for just over three hours, the jury of nine women and three men returned a verdict of not guilty on both murder and manslaughter charges.
The courtroom outcome sparked immediate public outrage. Crowds gathered outside the courthouse doors, chanting "Murderer! Murderer!" as Candy Montgomery walked free. Betty Gore's grieving father, Bob Pomeroy, expressed deep dismay to reporters, stating that while legal justice had run its course, the accused would have to live with her actions for the rest of her life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why wasn't Candy Montgomery convicted if she admitted to the killing?
Under Texas law at the time, once the defense successfully introduced evidence supporting a claim of self-defense, the burden shifted completely to the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Candy did not act in self-defense. The jury believed her testimony that Betty initiated the confrontation with the axe, and the psychiatric explanation of a dissociative reaction created enough reasonable doubt regarding her intent.
How old was Betty Gore's baby when the murder happened?
Betty and Allan's youngest daughter, Bethany, was nearly one year old at the time. She was left alone in her crib for approximately 13 hours until neighbors and Allan's coworkers entered the home to check on the family.
Did Candy Montgomery ever speak publicly about the case afterward?
No. Following her acquittal, Candy divorced her husband Pat in 1986 and moved away from Texas. She has consistently declined to participate in media interviews or documentaries, maintaining a low profile despite renewed pop-culture interest in the case through television miniseries.
Where did the confrontation take place inside the house?
The physical altercation began in the main living areas but culminated in the home's utility room, where Betty Gore ultimately succumbed to her injuries near the washing machine and laundry supplies.
