In 1980, a wealthy Texas couple named Betty Gore and Candy Montgomery were at the center of a sensational murder case. Montgomery killed Gore with an ax in Gore's own home, leading to a trial that garnered national attention.
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Montgomery was a housewife and mother of two, while Gore was a working mother with two children of her own. The two women were friends, but tensions had been building between them for months.
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The prosecution argued that Montgomery had planned the murder and had been driven to it by jealousy and obsession. The defense argued that Montgomery had suffered from a mental breakdown at the time of the killing.
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The trial lasted for several months and included testimony from over 70 witnesses. In the end, Montgomery was acquitted of murder but found liable for wrongful death in a civil suit.
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The case inspired several books, TV shows, and movies, including the made-for-TV movie "A Killing in a Small Town" starring Barbara Hershey.
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The case also had a lasting impact on the town of Wylie, Texas, where the murder took place. Many residents felt that the media attention had portrayed their town in a negative light.
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Montgomery has largely stayed out of the public eye since the trial, but she did give an interview in 2012 in which she maintained her innocence.
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In 2020, HBO Max released a limited series called "Lovecraft Country," which includes a storyline loosely based on the Betty Gore murder case.
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The Betty Gore murder case continues to fascinate and horrify people more than 40 years after the crime took place, and it remains one of the most sensational murder cases in Texas history