What happened to Pat and Candy Montgomery? Inside the true story behind Elizabeth Olsen's 'Love & Death'
Elizabeth Olsen's limited series 'Love & Death' just dropped on Netflix. For the unversed, the HBO thriller series is based on a true story and delves deep into the case of Candy Montgomery, a Texas housewife who killed her friend and neighbour, Betty Gore, with an ax in 1980. This is the second series narrating the infamous crime story. Previously, Hulu's 2022 show, 'Candy', featuring Jessica Biel in the titular role, shed light on the murder and the subsequent trial. Now, with 'Love & Death' telling the horrific story, many fans are left curious about the whereabouts of Candy and her husband, Pat Montgomery.
Candy and Pat were just a normal suburban couple living in Texas. As per a report by Texas Monthly, the pair tied the knot in the early 1970s. Candy was a secretary, and Pat worked as an engineer for Texas Instruments. The Montgomerys moved to Wylie, Texas, in 1977, with their son and daughter. As per the media outlet, Candy eventually quit her job and became a homemaker, describing herself as "bored crazy". Candy even took a writing course to keep herself busy. During a visit to a local Methodist Church, the couple met Betty and her husband Allan Gore. They soon became good friends.
According to Oxygen, Candy served as a member of the Church choir and taught some kids at Sunday school. However, things took a turn when Candy and Allan started flirting with each other. After months of flirting, their affair turned physical on December 12, 1978. The pair reportedly met each other every other week for months before they pulled the plug on their affair in 1979. In June 1980, Allan, who was out of town on a business trip, called Betty several times but failed to reach her. Worried, Allan asked a neighbour to check on Betty. Allan even contacted Candy, and she told him that everything was fine.
A neighbour arrived at the Gores' house to find the pair's younger daughter, Bethany, in her crib and an "ocean of blood" near the door to Gore's utility room. The neighbour informed Allan that Betty was dead, possibly from a bullet wound. In reality, Betty was murdered with an ax. Initially, Candy denied killing Betty and fed the police fabricated stories. The situation, however, changed when Allan confessed to the cops that he had an extramarital affair with Candy, making her a central part of the investigation. As per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Candy was found guilty on June 26, 1980.
On the witness stand, Candy claimed that Betty asked her about her affair with Allan. She alleged that after she confessed to the affair, Betty grabbed an ax from the utility room to attack her. Following a lengthy struggle, Candy claimed she took the ax from Betty and hit her with it numerous times. Candy stated that she had no intention of killing Betty, claiming her action was self-defense. The prosecution and defense rested their cases on October 29, 1980.
As per People Magazine Investigates: Candy and Betty, Candy and Pat moved to Georgia with their two kids following the intense murder trial. Later, Candy and Pat ended up getting divorced. Speaking of Candy, she went back to school and became a counsellor. While having a chat with People magazine, Betty's brother Ron Pomeroy said, "The fact that she thought she could counsel after what she had done still boggles me to this day."
