Candy Montgomery Biography: Age, Husband, Case, Net Worth & More

Candy Montgomery is an American woman whose name came to be known after one of the more controversial murder cases that occurred in Texas history. She was born Candace Lynn Wheeler on November 15, 1949 and was a suburban housewife in Wylie, Texas when she got involved in the death of Betty Gore in 1980. Candy confessed to killing Betty Gore, describing an argument in which she was trying to defend herself. The case made headlines as a famous true-crime story in the USA, and was acquitted by a Texas jury in October 1980. Her life became the subject of many books, documentaries and TV series (including the series ‘Candy’ and ‘Love & Death’) decades later. She has kept to herself and out of the spotlight since the trial.

Who is Candy Montgomery?

Candy Montgomery is an American former homemaker and licensed family counselor who was most famous for the murder trial of Betty Gore in 1980. She was residing with her husband and children in Wylie, TX, in the late 1970s in the same Methodist church as her family. Her romance one day would eventually involve her in the sad affair that brought her national attention, and that man was Allan Gore, husband of Betty Gore. Candy’s, who was acquitted, left Texas, rebuilt her life in Georgia and mostly kept out of the public eye.

Candy Montgomery Age (As of 2026)

Candy was born on Nov 15, 1949. As of 2026 she is 76 years old. Her zodiac sign is Scorpio.

Height, Weight & Physical Appearance

Candy Montgomery’s height and weight is unknown. In the late 1970s she was frequently referred to as an attractive, suburban homemaker confident and with blonde hair. 

Family Background

In the early 1970s, Candy married Pat Montgomery, an electrical engineer. The couple together had two kids, whose names have been kept under tight wraps over the years. In 1977, the family relocated to Collin County, Texas and got involved in the local Methodist church. The Montgomery family left the much talked-about trial in an attempt to start a new chapter in Georgia. Candy and Pat divorced in 1986 and she returned to her maiden name of Candace Wheeler.

Early Life & Education Qualification

Not much information exists online about Candy Montgomery’s upbringing. Some sources claim her family was military, and they moved around a lot during her childhood.

Before her marriage, she was a secretary and after the start of her family was a full-time homemaker. She not only enjoyed church activities but also actively participated in community events while living in Texas. In the years following the trial, Candy continued to work in professional trainings in counseling, and went on to become a licensed family counselor in Georgia.

Personal Life

Candy Montgomery was the wife of Pat Montgomery and they were a stable family. In 1978, however, she started an extra marital affair with Allan Gore who is married to her friend, Betty Gore.

The affair lasted for a few months, and on June 13, 1980, Candy visited Betty Gore’s house, where an argument over the affair broke out. This episode culminated with the death of Betty Gore, the arrest of Candy and one of the most widely covered criminal trials in the history of the State of Texas.

Candy and Pat stayed together for several years after her acquittal, and divorced in 1986. Since then, she has kept her personal life completely private.

Candy Montgomery Career Highlights

Prior to her public exposure, Candy Montgomery was a full-time homemaker and active member of the community of her local church, in Wylie, TX. She spent much of her time raising her children and in the community.

The 1980 Murder Trial

Since prosecutors charged Candy Montgomery with killing Betty Gore in June 1980, her name has taken center stage in the national media. In the trial, she pleaded not guilty to killing Betty but claimed that she acted in self-defense because an axe-wielding attacker assaulted her. The trial lasted eight days, and after only a few hours of deliberation, the jury acquitted, in one of the most controversial verdicts in Texas history.

Life After the Trial

After the trial, Candy went back to Texas with her family and lived in Georgia. Afterwards, she went on to do counseling training and became a Licensed Family Counselor working with families and children. Perhaps she isn’t as high-profile as many true-crime personalities, but she’s never granted interviews or made public appearances in decades.

Career Timeline

Where Is Candy Montgomery Now (2026)?

Now in her mid-70s, Candy Montgomery (nee Wheeler) lives a quiet life in Georgia as the maiden name of her birth. In decades, she has not done anything that would be public, and in the two TV adaptations of her case, a movie on Hulu called Candy (2022) and a movie on HBO Max called Love & Death (2023), she reportedly told actress Jessica Biel that she “was not interested.” No new reporting or developments in the law have occurred since her acquittal in 1980, and no one knows her exact location.

Candy Montgomery Acquitted in the Betty Gore Murder Trial

The Slaying (June 13, 1980)

Candy Montgomery went to the house of her friend Betty Gore in Wylie, Texas on June 13, 1980 to pick up a swimsuit for Betty’s older daughter, Alisa, who was spending the day with Candy’s family. In the course of the visit, Betty confronted Candy with respect to the months-long affair she had had with Betty’s husband, Allan Gore. The affair had come to an end months before, but once it got going, the confrontation was soon to become bitter.

Candy testified that Betty got one of the three-foot wood splitting ax from the utility room and threatened her. A fight then erupted in the little room with both women dueling with each other for the gun. The battle ended when Candy hit Betty 41 times with the ax for one of the most shocking murder scenes in Texas history.

Candy washed herself in Betty’s bath, changed her clothes and went back to her normal daily routine – including church related activities. Later in the day, Allan who was traveling on business, was concerned that Betty did not answer his phone calls. He had neighbours check the house and they found Betty’s body in a pool of blood. However, her baby girl was crying alone in another room, and physically unharmed.

Investigation & arrest procedures

The heavy nature of the violence originally had investigators thinking the murderer may have been a stranger. But Allan Gore’s admission to an affair with Candy Montgomery shifted the course of the investigation. The detectives started to investigate Candy as the main suspect.

Among the physical evidence found in the investigation, investigators discovered that Candy possessed some of the same items from the crime scene. They linked her to a bloody thumb print on the freezer, and they also found rubber soled shoe prints that matched the shoes she wore that day. Based on this evidence and witness statements, authorities arrested Candy Montgomery on June 26, 1980, and formally charged her with killing Betty Gore.

The Trial and Defense Strategy

In October 1980, District Judge Tom Ryan began hearing the murder case against Candy Montgomery in McKinney, Texas. Local civil attorney Don Crowder represented her, despite never having handled a felony murder case. Despite his lack of criminal trial experience, Crowder’s unconventional defense was a highlighted point about the case.

Crowder was able to hire psychiatrist Dr. Fred Fason prior to the trial, and the doctor put Candy in clinical hypnosis. At these sessions, Candy stated that her mother reprimanded her numerous times with “shh” when she got injured as a kid. The defense contended that the word launched a profound psychological reaction when Betty used it during their fight which resulted in Candy entering a dissociative state.

Striking Betty 41 times was far more than just a reasonable act of self defence, the prosecution said, pointing to the fact that it was deliberate killing. According to the medical evidence, 40 of the 41 blows were delivered “while Betty’s heart was beating. The defence, however, insisted that in a violent scuffle, Candy acted in panic and fear for her life, and that her psychopathy made it impossible for her to control herself.

The Verdict and Aftermath:

The nine-woman, three-man jury took eight days to trial, and about three and a half hours to deliberate, and then reached its verdict on Oct. 29, 1980. Candy Montgomery was acquitted by the jury who believed she was acting in self-defense.

The acquittal surprised many people in the local community and attracted significant public attention. When Candy left the Collin County courthouse, heavy security surrounded her, while an angry crowd outside shouted, “Murderer!” at her. The acquittal remains one of the most controversial legal cases in Texas history.

Betty’s parents, Bob and Bertha Pomeroy, raised Betty’s two daughters in the years ahead. They openly voiced their dismay over the decision and said that they would never know what went on in the Gore house on the day that Betty lost her life.

Who Was Betty Gore?

Betty Gore is 30 years old, was a school teacher and in many respects the perfect housewife as wife to Allan Gore. She was friends with Candy Montgomery – through the First United Methodist Church of Lucas, and her family and the Montgomery family were close. Betty learned of her husband’s dalliance with Candy, though it had already ended late in 1979. A confrontation between the pair became fatal on June 13, 1980. After Betty died, her parents, Bob and Bertha Pomeroy, took responsibility for raising her two daughters, Alisa and Bethany, because they believed the court had not delivered justice in their daughter’s case.

Little Known Facts

• She was acquitted of murder for the killing of Betty Gore, and said she acted in self-defense.
• Her story was the subject of books, documentaries and a TV series (Candy & Love & Death).
• Right after the trial, she left for Georgia and assumed her maiden name again.
• Later on, she received a licensed family counselor certificate.
• For decades, she has been shunning the press.
• She has two children whose names have been kept secret.

Candy Montgomery Net Worth (As of 2026)

Candy Montgomery’s net worth is not available as it was not disclosed publicly. She never sought publicity or commercial opportunities after her acquittal, but instead opted for a quiet career. She was a licensed family therapist who earned her main living from this. An estimate of her finances was only speculative and not officially released.

Social Media Presence

There are no known public social media accounts for candy Montgomery. But for over 40 years, she has stayed out of the headlines, and in most instances she refrains from speaking about the events that catapulted her to national attention.

Conclusion

The 1980 Candy Montgomery case of Betty Gore is one of the most recognizable American true crime stories. The jury found her not guilty after she pleaded self-defense, but the case is still debated and of public interest decades later. After the trial she opted for living a private life in Georgia as a family counselor, and didn’t speak to the media much. Today, in 2026, Candy Montgomery is still living out of the public eye and her story is one of the most talked about criminal cases in the history of Texas.

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