‘Love and Death’ and the Candy Montgomery case: cast, true story, and where the key figures are now

Interest in Love and Death has surged again, sending viewers back to the chilling 1980 slaying of Betty Gore in Wylie, Texas, and the suburban love triangle involving Candy Montgomery and Allan Gore. Here’s a clear, up-to-date guide to the real events behind the series, the on-screen cast, and what’s known today about the people at the center of the story.

Love and Death cast: who plays whom

The limited series dramatizes the months leading up to the killing, the investigation, and the sensational courtroom showdown. The principal characters include:

• Candy Montgomery — portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen, as a churchgoing mother whose dissatisfaction with routine suburban life escalates into an affair and, ultimately, a deadly confrontation.

• Allan Gore — played by Jesse Plemons, as the reserved husband whose relationship with Candy becomes the fuse for a community-shaking tragedy.

• Betty Gore — brought to life by Lily Rabe, as a dedicated teacher, wife, and mother who confronts Candy on the day she is killed.

• Key supporting figures include Candy’s husband Pat Montgomery, defense attorney Don Crowder, and psychiatrist Dr. Fred Fason, all of whom shape the courtroom narrative and its outcome.

The true story behind Love and Death

The real case centers on the close-knit church community of Wylie. Candy Montgomery, then in her early 30s, began an extramarital affair with her friend’s husband, Allan Gore. Months after the affair ended, tensions lingered. On June 13, 1980, Candy visited the Gore home while Allan was out of town. An argument between Candy and Betty Gore erupted in the utility room; a struggle followed, and Betty was struck 41 times with an axe.

Candy admitted she inflicted the blows but claimed self-defense, asserting that Betty initiated the confrontation and wielded the axe first. The trial that autumn riveted Texas. Over eight days, jurors heard about hypnosis sessions, buried trauma, and a flashpoint moment when rage overtook reason. On October 30, 1980, a jury acquitted Candy of murder. The verdict divided the community—some saw it as a narrow application of self-defense law, others as a failure to hold a deadly overreaction to account.

Where is Candy Montgomery now?

In the years after the trial, Candy relocated from Texas to Georgia, reverted to her maiden name Candace Wheeler, and kept a low profile. Public records and later reporting indicate she pursued work as a counselor/therapist, maintaining privacy and avoiding publicity tied to the case. She and her then-husband, Pat, later separated. No credible, verified updates suggest she seeks public attention; by all indications, she continues to live quietly and outside the spotlight.

What happened to Allan Gore and the family?

Allan Gore eventually moved on with his life outside the immediate Wylie circle. Betty’s two daughters were raised within the extended family, away from the glare created by the trial and subsequent retellings. Over the decades, both Allan and Candy have largely avoided interviews, and the children—whose names were changed in dramatizations—have preserved their privacy. The limited, verifiable public details about their adult lives reflect a conscious effort to distance themselves from the notoriety of 1980.

How closely does Love and Death follow the real case?

The series draws heavily on period reporting and a well-known nonfiction account of the case. Many key beats align with the record:

• The church-centered social circle in Collin County.

• The Candy–Allan affair and its rules meant to keep emotions “in check.”

• The confrontation at the Gore home while Allan was away.

• The 41 axe blows, Candy’s self-defense plea, and the acquittal.

Dramatizations compress timelines, amplify private conversations no one recorded, and imagine moments to convey inner lives. Courtroom strategy, hypnosis testimony, and the community’s furious reaction are grounded in documented proceedings, but side characters and dialogue often serve storytelling needs. Treat intimate exchanges and some character composites as interpretive rather than documentary.

Why this story endures

The case endures because it collides everyday suburban rituals—church picnics, carpool lines, quiet cul-de-sacs—with extremes of desire, fear, and violence. It also forces tough questions: how self-defense is interpreted when force becomes excessive; how communities metabolize scandal; and how private choices ripple into public trauma. The show’s renewed popularity keeps interest high in Candy Montgomery, Betty Gore, and Allan Gore, but the most durable truth may be the simplest: behind the headlines was a family shattered and a community forever altered.

Quick facts: Candy Montgomery and Love and Death

• Date of killing: June 13, 1980

• Victim: Betty Gore, teacher and mother of two

• Affair at issue: Candy Montgomery and Allan Gore

• Trial outcome: Acquitted on self-defense (October 30, 1980)

• Candy today: Lives quietly in Georgia under Candace Wheeler; maintains privacy

• Series focus: The affair, the killing, and the high-profile trial that tested the limits of self-defense in a domestic confrontation

If you’re arriving at Love and Death first and exploring the real case second, keep this in mind: the documented spine of events is firm, but many private moments are unknowable. The public record tells a story of ordinary people drawn into an extraordinary tragedy—one that still captivates audiences decades later.