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In June 1980, Betty Gore was brutally murdered in her Wylie, Texas, home by her neighbor and best friend, Candy Montgomery, who was allegedly having an affair with the husband of the cheerful mother-of-two. Montgomery claimed that her actions were in self defense when Gore attacked her with an ax following an altercation due to the alleged affair.
Candy Montgomery later testified during the subsequent high-profile, controversial trial that Betty first came at her with the ax, but she had yanked it out of her friend's hands and killed her by repeatedly striking her. She was acquitted of all charges.
On Monday, People Magazine Investigates will revisit the gruesome details of Betty Gore's horrific murder story that occurred over four decades ago. The episode titled Candy and Betty will air on ID on September 5, 2022, at 9:00 pm ET.
This article will discuss chilling details about the case ahead of the episode premiere.
Five bone-chilling facts about Betty Gore's 1980 ax murder
1) Betty Gore was axed 41 times by her best friend Candy Montgomery
Candy Montgomery was about to leave the room, trying to make an escape during her altercation with Betty Gore. The two allegedly battled for the ax that Gore used to initially threaten Montgomery. According to the latter's court testimony, the victim did not allow her to escape even after she struck her in the head, which caused heavy bleeding.
However, it was only after Betty's shushing that Candy became outraged and got all defensive, and snatched the ax from her friend's hand. She then struck her 41 times, out of which 28 were aimed at her head.
Candy Montgomery testified during the trial, saying,
"I didn’t think. I raised it and I hit her, and I hit her, and I hit her and I hit her."
2) Candy reportedly cleaned up in Betty's bathroom after the incident
According to reports, Candy Montgomery rinsed the blood off herself in the victim's house before leaving to continue about her everyday affairs. She testified while on the stand during her trial that she had a shower at the Gore residence before leaving while Betty's infant was still upstairs, crying in the crib.
After changing into fresh clothes at home, she headed to the church to attend Bible school with her kids and Gores' elder daughter before having lunch with friends. Montgomery also discarded the remains of the footwear she was wearing when she murdered Gore.
3) Betty Gore's next-door neighbors discovered the bloody crime scene
Lester Gayler and Richard Parker, two of Gore's neighbors, discovered her body along with the bloody crime scene at her house. The two reportedly went over to the Gores residence after receiving calls from Allan Gore, Betty's husband, who grew concerned about her whereabouts when she failed to return his calls.
The crime scene, according to Gayler, was the most horrific thing he had ever witnessed. He remembered noticing ax marks as high as the roof and blood all over the place. Lester also recalled seeing Montgomery the following day and stated that she appeared unaffected by the events.
4) Revelations of an illicit affair led to Betty Gore's brutal death
Gore's murder sent the Wylie, Texas, community into a frenzy. Betty was mercilessly slaughtered with 41 ax blows by a woman who claimed to be her best friend, Candy Motgomery. Authorities initially did not consider Montgomery a possible suspect in the horrifying murder case.
Nonetheless, it did not take them long to identify her as the prime suspect after Betty's husband told authorities about his illict affair that happened behind the victim's back. The two met in hotels. Their romance, however, came to a stop when the Gores had their second child. Montgomery quickly surrendered to authorities in front of a befuddled crowd of residents.
5) Betty Gore's body was awfully mutilated
Betty's lifeless body was discovered in the utility room of her house. Her blood practically coated every single inch of the room. The victim's body was horrifyingly mutilated, and half of her face was destroyed. According to reports, an ax was discovered close to her body.
An autopsy eventually confirmed that Betty had been struck with the ax 41 times. Despite the killer's best efforts, she (Candy Montgomery) was unable to wipe up the blood-stained crime scene.
People Magazine Investigates airs on ID this Monday, September 5, 2022.
