Candace Montgomery is an American homemaker. She is accused of murdering her lover’s wife, Betty Gore, in June of 1980. The murder took place in Wylie, Texas and the victim was struck 41 times with a wood splitting axe. It is still unknown whether Montgomery killed the victim or not.
Candy Wheeler
Candy Wheeler was born and raised in Lucas, Texas. She was the daughter of an Army officer. As an adult, she married Pat Montgomery, an electrical engineer who worked for Texas Instruments. They had two children: Jenny and Ian. They later divorced and moved to Georgia, where they continue to live. Since their divorce, Candy Wheeler has kept her life private. She works as a mental health counselor.
In the early 1970s, Candy Wheeler was a secretary at a Texas Instruments (TI) company. Her husband, Pat Montgomery, was an electrical engineer, and the couple had a son together. Candy Wheeler became bored with her routine. When her children were born, she became a full-time homemaker. She also developed a close friendship with fellow electrical engineer, Betty Gore.
Candy Montgomery
Candace Lynn Montgomery is an American homemaker. She is accused of killing her lover’s wife, Betty Gore, in 1980. The murder took place in Wylie, Texas. She allegedly struck the woman 41 times with a wood splitting axe. The case has since gone to trial. Montgomery has denied the charges.
While the series is no longer on air, it is available online. Candy is currently streaming on Hulu. The drama is based on a collection of articles published in Texas Monthly. The show also has a miniseries coming out in 2022.
Betty Gore
In a Texas Monthly article, Betty Gore, Candace Montegoery, and their foster child, Davey, were described as “cold.” This was in direct opposition to Gore’s family’s account. The sex of the murder suspect was never made public. However, the alleged killer had a past affair. They met regularly at the Como Motel in Richardson, Texas, which still stands today on Central Expressway. After the affair ended, the pair spurned each other. But Gore, the victim’s daughter, did spend the night with them.
After dating for a few months, the two had an affair. They had been friends since they attended the First United Methodist Church in Lucas, Texas, and were also active in volleyball and choir. However, their affair ended after they had a child together in July 1979. In June 1980, they were murdered.
Candy Montgomery’s affair with Allan Gore
The affair between Candy Montgomery and Allan Gore began on Christmas Eve of 1963. Allan had come home from a trip to Kansas and had wanted to visit Candy. But he couldn’t leave work early. He called from his kitchen to let her know he couldn’t make it and that he was going on vacation for a week. Since he couldn’t be with her for two weeks, Candy became angry. Allan waited until she calmed down before calling. He hung up feeling depressed and walked back to the bedroom.
As the affair progressed, Candy and Allan began to meet secretly to discuss how they could end the affair. They also attended a Marriage Encounter. Although they weren’t married, Candy and Allan had made love on Saturday night.
Candy’s claim of self-defense
Candy Montgomery’s claim of self-defense may seem extreme, but her story has a basis in reality. In the 1970s, Candy was having an extramarital affair with her longtime friend Betty Montgomery. When Betty confronted Candy about her affair, Candy told her that it had been going on for six or seven months.
After Betty’s murder, Candy was arrested, but only turned herself in 13 days later. She was held on a $100,000 bond. At trial, Candy testified that Betty had threatened her. Her lawyer presented a Houston psychiatrist as a witness. The psychiatrist testified that Candy had a dissociative reaction to the attack and had no idea that she had struck Betty 41 times. In the end, Candy was acquitted of the murder charge.
Don Crowder
The case against Candy Montgomery drew the attention of both the media and the public. In an effort to prove that Montgomery was not guilty of murder, the defense hired lawyer Don Crowder, who had no previous experience handling murder cases. While Crowder had a lack of criminal defense experience, he quickly gained fame for his aggressive courtroom style. While he was arrested for violating a gag order, Crowder argued that Montgomery had attacked Gore 41 times in self-defense.
The trial began in October 1980. A nine-woman, three-man jury was empaneled to hear the case. Crowder stunned the courtroom by stating that his client was acting in self-defense. Candace Montegomery’s lawyer Don Crowder urged the jury to consider her perspective as a victim, saying that the murder case would be difficult to prove if she did not have a criminal history.
Robert Udashen
In 1980, Robert Udashen was 27 years old and practicing law in Texas. He was called on to join a high-profile case as part of the defense team. The case involved the murder of Betty Gore, an elderly woman by the name of Montgomery, by a former partner of hers. The defense team argued that Montgomery was acting in self defense.
The trial went well for Candy Montgomery. The jury ruled her not guilty of murder, although the community felt she was guilty. The murder happened during a time when her husband was out of town. After the trial, Candy and Pat separated. She now works as a therapist and goes by her maiden name of Wheeler.
