Horrifying true story of 80s housewife accused of axe murder in Channel 4 thriller
The killing that shocked Texas.
Channel 4 has added more true crime action to its collection this week as its five-part thriller series Candy: A Death in Texas continues.
According to Channel 4, Candy: A Death in Texas tells the story of a ‘shocking real-life murder that shattered a small town in Texas in 1980’.
The first four episodes of the dramatisation of Candy Montgomery and Betty Gore’s story have been airing late at night on Channel 4 since Saturday.
Episodes 1 to 4 are currently available through the Channel 4 streaming service, with episode 5 scheduled for broadcast at 11.10pm on Tuesday.
The murder has also been the subject of an ITVX drama starring Elizabeth Olsen, which was given the very similar title of Candy: Love and Death in Texas.
Here’s the true story of the death that rocked a small town in Texas.
The true story behind Candy: A Death in Texas The town of Wylie in Texas was never the same again (Picture: Hulu/Channel 4)In the late 1970s, Candy Montgomery and her husband Pat moved to the town of Wylie in Texas, a few miles north of Dallas. The couple had two children.
Once they were settled in Wylie, Candy attended the local Methodist church and quickly became friends with Betty Gore, a woman who attended the same church.
Betty, who also had two children, lived with her husband Allan; their house was a short distance away from Candy and Pat’s, and the two couples would spend time together.
Things were perfectly ordinary, until Candy began to feel trapped and unsatisfied in her marriage to Pat and asked Allan if he would like to begin an affair.
Allan initially declined Candy’s invitation because his wife Betty was pregnant but accepted her request a short time later.
Justin Timberlake stars as a real-life cop who investigated the killing (Picture: Hulu/Channel 4)The two engaged in an extramarital affair as Betty completed her pregnancy and gave birth to her and Allen’s new daughter, but Allan called things off shortly afterwards.
In June 1980, Allan was away on a business trip, leaving Betty at home by herself. She was visited by Candy during the day and invited her neighbour and friend inside.
At some point during their conversation, Betty confronted Candy about her affair with Allen, asking Candy if her suspicions had any truth to them. From there, things turned violent.
Darkness lurked under 1980s suburbia in Texas (Picture: Hulu/Channel 4)Candy later admitted to striking Betty 41 times with an axe, killing her, before taking a bath in Betty’s house and carrying on her day as normal.
Allan made numerous calls to Betty that day but failed to get in touch with her, eventually sending neighbours round to the house, where they found Betty murdered and her infant daughter upstairs in her cot.
A sheriff said at the time: ‘It was evident the killer had showered after bludgeoning Betty to death. There were bloody footprints, blood on the tiles, and the drain had human hair that was later matched to Candy.’
In court, Candy pleaded self-defence, claiming that Betty had grabbed the axe first and attacked her, with Candy eventually gaining the upper hand.
Four months after Betty’s death, a jury acquitted Candy, who served no jail time—the verdict was reached after just three hours of deliberation.
The verdict received widespread criticism, with crowds chanting that Candy was a ‘murderer’ as she exited the courthouse. Candy has remained out of the public eye ever since.
Candy: A Death in Texas cast Superstar couple Jessica and Justin lead the cast (Picture: Jerritt Clark/Getty)Candy: A Death in Texas was originally produced for the US streaming service Hulu in 2022 and starred Jessica Biel as Candy Montgomery.
Betty Gore was played by Melanie Lynskey, while Allan Gore and Pat Montgomery were played by Pablo Schreiber and Timothy Simons respectively.
Other cast members include Raul Esparaza as Don Crowder, while Christina Gore was portrayed by 12-year-old actress Antonella Rose.
Jessica Biel’s husband Justin Timberlake plays Deputy Steve Deffibaugh. Deputy Deffibaugh was a real person who investigated the killing in 1980.
Catch up with Candy: A Death in Texas on Channel 4.
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