The True Story Behind Max's 'Love & Death'

The horrifying story of Candy Montgomery was detailed in Max’s Love & Death.

The true crime miniseries, which premiered in April 2023, stars Elizabeth Olsen as Montgomery, the infamous axe murderer who killed her neighbor, Betty Gore (Lily Rabe). The murder case rocked the small town of Wylie, Texas, in June 1980 and has been the inspiration for several shows since.

In July 2020, Hulu announced plans for a series titled Candy, with Elisabeth Moss originally attached to star. Though Moss later backed out due to scheduling conflicts, Jessica Biel took on the role when the miniseries premiered in May 2022.

Read ahead for everything to know about the true story of Candy Montgomery and Betty Gore's murder.

Who is Candy Montgomery?

As detailed in Texas Monthly articles titled "Love and Death in Silicon Prairie, Part I: Candy Montgomery's Affair" and "Love and Death in Silicon Prairie, Part II: The Killing of Betty Gore" — which Max's miniseries Love & Death is based on — Candy was considered a "normal suburban housewife." She was married to a man named Pat Montgomery, with whom she had two kids: a son and a daughter.

In 1977, Candy and her family moved to Wylie, where they resided in her "dream house in the country." While Candy and Pat seemed to have a picture-perfect life to outsiders, Candy considered her marriage "very boring" and longed for something more.

After settling down in their new home, Candy began attending the Methodist Church of Lucas, which Texas Monthly said was the "center of [her] universe." It was during a church service that she first met Betty and the two became close friends.

Who is Betty Gore?

Like Candy, Betty was a wife and mother in the suburbs of Dallas. In January 1970, she married Allan Gore; when their first child was born, Allan took a job at an electronics conglomerate called Rockwell International.

In 1976, Betty took a job teaching at an elementary school, "but she didn't enjoy her work for very long." As Texas Monthly stated: "She couldn't control her unruly students, and at the same time she couldn't bear to be left alone at home when Allan had to travel."

Despite this, Betty decided the two should try to have their second child. She began planning her pregnancy "down to the exact week so that the baby would be born in midsummer and she wouldn't have to take any time off from teaching," the outlet stated.

This reportedly made Allan “resentful,” as he felt their sex had become "completely mechanical." As his marriage to Betty became strained, he and Candy grew close after colliding at a church volleyball game in 1978.

Did Candy Montgomery and Allan Gore have an affair?

During the church volleyball game in the summer of 1978, Candy and Allan quite literally crashed into each other as they both tried to make a play on the same ball.

According to the Texas Monthly articles, Candy thought Allan "smelled sexy" and began to fantasize about having an affair with him. One night after choir practice, Candy approached Allan in his car and said she'd been thinking about him a lot and wanted to know if they should act on her attraction. The attraction was mutual, as Allan, too, had reportedly considered Candy “one of the most attractive women in the church.”

Allan initially rejected the offer, noting that Betty had just gotten pregnant again and that it would "be unfair to her." Shortly after, however, he gave Candy a kiss.

A few months later, they met up again on Candy's 29th birthday, where they discussed the details of their planned affair, establishing a rule that if either of them started getting "emotionally involved," they would end things.

They officially started having an affair on Dec. 12, 1978, which continued for several months. While Candy reportedly felt guilty about deceiving Pat, she never felt uncomfortable around Betty and even threw her a baby shower. Candy and Allan continued the affair even after Betty gave birth in July 1979, but shortly thereafter, Allan and Betty decided to work on their marriage, and Allan ended his affair with Candy.

In the summer of 1980, things eventually took a turn for the worse.

What happened the night Betty Gore was murdered?

On Friday, June 13, 1980, Allan was away on a business trip and became worried when Betty wasn't answering any of his calls. He asked a neighbor to check on her, but Betty didn't answer. He then called Candy, who was watching their daughter Alisa at the time, and she assured him Betty was fine.

However, after several more attempts to contact Betty, Allan grew more worried. A few hours later, a neighbor entered the Gores' home to find their infant daughter, Bethany, in her crib and "oceans of blood" leading to the utility room door.

The neighbor informed Allan that Betty was dead, presuming she had been shot. Distraught, Allan called Candy again at about 11:30 p.m. informing her of Betty's death and asking if she could continue watching Alisa. She agreed and later broke down crying in Pat's arms.

The next morning, the police reported that Betty was murdered with an axe and that they found a bloody footprint in the home. Upon learning this news, Candy used a pair of garden shears to cut up her rubber sandals, which prosecutors said was done to destroy any suspicion based on the pattern on the soles.

What crimes did Candy Montgomery commit?

As the last person to see Betty alive, Candy became the main suspect in her murder. The police questioned her several times, and although her alibi seemed airtight, that all changed when Allan admitted to having an affair with Candy, giving the police a motive for the killing.

Candy was arrested and charged with Betty’s murder, which she denied committing. She was later released on bail and given full support from her church, where she hired lawyer Don Crowder to represent her. Crowder later enlisted a psychiatrist and clinical hypnotist named Dr. Fred Fason to uncover Candy's memories from that night.

Through several hypnosis sessions, Fason said he discovered that Candy had experienced childhood trauma, which led to her rage as an adult. He was also able to piece together what happened the night of Betty's killing, which Candy later recounted during her October 1980 trial, where she pleaded self-defense in Betty's murder.

During her testimony, she alleged that on Friday, June 13, 1980, Betty confronted Candy about her affair with Allan. When Candy admitted to the affair, she claimed Betty went into her utility room to grab an axe, which Betty then used to attack her. Candy said she eventually gained control of the axe and hit Betty as the two continued to struggle. In an act of rage, Candy proceeded to hit Betty 41 times; Texas Monthly added that she only stopped "at the point of utter exhaustion."

Did Candy Montgomery go to jail?

Candy gave her testimony that Friday and by the following Wednesday, the jury heard the final arguments and reached its verdict the same day. In the end, Candy was found not guilty and therefore served no jail time for Betty’s murder.

Where is Candy Montgomery now?

Candy has stayed out of the public eye since the trial, though Dallas Morning News reported in 2010 that she and Pat eventually moved to Georgia, where she began working as a certified family counselor. It's also been reported that Candy and Pat split shortly after their move.