41 Axe Blows and a Not Guilty Verdict—Did Candy Montgomery Really Kill in Self-Defense?
It was a sweltering summer day in Texas when Betty Gore was found brutally hacked to death in her own home. The murder weapon? A three-foot axe. The prime suspect? Her close friend and fellow churchgoer, Candace “Candy” Montgomery—a woman who had not only been a trusted part of Betty’s life but had also been sleeping with her husband.
But what shocked the world wasn’t just the sheer savagery of the attack—it was the verdict. Despite delivering 41 axe blows, Candy Montgomery walked free. Was this truly a case of self-defense, or did a killer slip through the cracks of the justice system?
The Grisly Discovery
On June 13, 1980, Betty Gore’s husband, Allan, was away on a business trip in Minnesota. When he couldn’t reach his wife, unease set in. He asked neighbors to check on her, and what they found was nothing short of horrifying.
In the blood-drenched utility room of the Gore home, Betty’s body lay lifeless, disfigured beyond recognition. A deep pool of crimson surrounded her, and a gore-covered axe was found nearby. In another room, her nearly 1-year-old daughter sat alone, terrified and unattended for hours.
The attack was not just a murder—it was an obliteration. Betty had been struck with such force that part of her face was missing. Medical examiners later determined she had been hit 41 times, with 40 of the blows landing while her heart was still beating.
The town of Wylie, Texas, was gripped with fear. A vicious killer was clearly on the loose—or so it seemed.
A Sinister Affair and a Suspicious Last Visit
At first, investigators searched for a random intruder. But soon, the truth took a much darker turn. Allan Gore confessed to police that he had been having an affair with Candy Montgomery. Their secret relationship had begun in December 1978 and ended in late 1979.
Who was the last person to see Betty Gore alive? Candy Montgomery.
Candy had stopped by the Gore home that morning to pick up a swimsuit for Betty’s older daughter. And as evidence mounted, including a bloody fingerprint that matched Montgomery’s, suspicions turned into accusations.
Two weeks after Betty’s murder, Candy Montgomery was arrested.
A Shocking Defense
When Montgomery’s trial began, the courtroom braced for a dramatic showdown. But no one expected her defense attorney to make a bombshell confession: Candy did kill Betty—but in self-defense.
On October 23, 1980, Candy took the stand and recounted the harrowing events of that morning. According to her, Betty had confronted her about the affair. Candy admitted to it, but assured Betty it was long over. That’s when, she claimed, Betty retrieved an axe and told her to stay away from her husband.
Candy said she initially tried to leave peacefully, but as she reached out in a gesture of sympathy, Betty snapped. A struggle ensued, and Candy sustained a minor head injury and a cut toe from the axe. Fighting for survival, she wrestled the weapon away and swung at Betty. But then, something triggered inside her.
As Candy testified, Betty hushed her with a “Shhh.” And at that moment, she said, a repressed childhood trauma surfaced. Candy recalled an incident from when she was four years old—an accident where she was shushed by her mother as she bled from a head wound.
That “Shhh” ignited a blind rage, Candy claimed. She struck Betty over and over and over again—41 times—until she finally stopped moving.
The Verdict That Shocked a Nation
Despite Candy’s gruesome actions, the jury had one job: to determine whether or not she acted in self-defense. The burden of proof was on the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she had intended to kill.
On October 29, 1980, the jury delivered its stunning verdict: not guilty of both murder and manslaughter.
Gasps filled the courtroom. Outside, the public erupted in fury. As Candy exited the courthouse, angry cries of “Murderer!” followed her.
One juror later explained their reasoning: “We determined it never had a bearing on the verdict at all—whether it was one gunshot or 1,000 whacks.”
Candy Montgomery walked free.
The Legacy of a Brutal Crime
Following her acquittal, Candy left Texas, moved to Georgia, and reinvented herself as a family counselor. But for those who knew Betty, justice felt disturbingly absent.
To this day, forensic experts question the psychological explanation given at trial. Dr. John Delatorre, a forensic psychologist, dismissed the hypnosis-based defense, stating, “The childhood memory would not spur her to erupt in violence… It doesn’t add up.”
Whether it was a moment of uncontrollable rage or something far more sinister, one truth remains: Betty Gore is gone, brutally taken in a storm of violence. And Candy Montgomery, the woman who delivered 41 axe blows, never served a single day in prison.
Was this truly self-defense? Or was a murderer allowed to walk free?
The chilling case of Betty Gore’s death remains one of the most controversial murder trials in American history. And decades later, one haunting question still lingers: how much is too much when claiming self-defense?
