Where is Candace 'Candy' Montgomery now? The Texas housewife behind 'Love & Death' on HBO
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The best part of cinema is how perfectly it adapts real-life stories and tries to portray them with different tones and structures, while also stating facts and staying true to the original story structure at the same time. HBO Max has picked up the story of Candy Montgomery, a suburban housewife in Texas who murdered her friend Betty Gore. Produced by 'Big Little Lies' creator David E Kelley, HBO Max's new miniseries 'Love & Death' starring Elizabeth Olsen is based on a murder that rocked the small Texas town of Wylie in 1980.
The case has been adapted quite a few times with different streaming services, once by Lifetime as a movie and once by Hulu as a limited series starring Jessica Biel. The HBO miniseries is all set to air soon, but before that, let's dive deeper into the story of Candy Montgomery, what led her to kill her friend and where is she now?
RELATED ARTICLES:
'Love & Death' on HBO MAX: Release date and how to watch
What is 'Love & Death' based on?
Candy Montgomery was a bored, Texas housewife who just wanted to have some fun and was looking to have an affair. Things take a turn when she decides to have an affair with her close friend's husband, Allan Gore. Candy expressed her attraction to Allan and both individuals danced back and forth between the idea. Allan told Candy that he loved his wife Betty, and she was pregnant with their second child. Allan expressed how it wouldn't be fair to cheat on her at such a crucial period. But, going against his better judgment, Allan followed his ignoble instincts. The duo started sleeping together after that on multiple occasions. Betty delivered the couple's second child not long after the affair and post that Allan cut ties with Betty, which led to her being devastated as she had developed genuine feelings for him. But, on one unfateful night, when Allan was out on a business trip and called home to check on his family, nobody answered. Later, upon investigation by the neighbors, Betty was bloodied and dead in the utility room.
Later, upon investigation, Allan confessed to the affair with Candy and she became the prime suspect in the murder. Candy confessed to killing Betty, but also told the detectives that it was in an act of self-defense and Betty was the one who struck her first. And at one point in the act of self-defense, Candy struck Betty with the same axe 41 times.
Where is Candy Montgomery now?
According to a source, Candy's lawyer brought in a psychiatrist, Dr Fred Fason, who testified that Candy had a dissociative reaction and wasn't aware of what she was doing and how many times she struck Betty. The jury believed the story and unfortunately, she didn't serve any jail time. After the final trial, Candy and her husband Pat stayed together and moved to Georgia, but then the couple got divorced four years later. The irony of this story is quite powerful as the 72-year-old Candy now works as a mental health worker and lives her life under her maiden name, Wheeler.
'Love & Death' is set to release exclusively on HBO Max on April 27.
