Love & Death: Is the HBO crime drama series based on a true story? Details explored

Love & Death is HBO Max's 2023 true crime miniseries, starring Elizabeth Olsen as Candy Montgomery, a suburban housewife from Wylie, Texas, who killed her friend from church with an axe in 1980. The crime drama series is based on a chilling true story that shocked the Wylie community to their core and changed the trajectory of two families forever.

Candy Montgomery was married to her husband, Pat (Patrick Fugit), and was a typical housewife and a mother. In December 1980, she killed her friend and fellow churchgoer, Betty Gore (Lily Rabe), in cold blood by striking her 41 times with an axe. According to the authorities, Candy then took a shower in the Gore house to wash the blood off her and left Betty's one-year-old child crying at the crime scene.

Here is the true chilling story depicted in Love & Death.

HBO's Love & Death is based on a chilling true story

Love & Death follows the chilling incident from the 1980s Wylie, where a stereotypical housewife, mother and a regular churchgoer, Candy Montgomery, killed her friend Betty Gore in cold blood. The incident took place on Friday, June 13, 1980, at Betty Gore's suburban home at 410 Dogwood Drive. After Allan Gore (Jesse Plemons), who was away on a business trip, failed to reach her wife, he contacted Candy, who was also babysitting their daughter, Alisa Gore. However, Candy maintained that Betty was 'fine' earlier that day.

Love & Death reveals the chilling details about Betty Gore's murder, after neighbours found her battered body in the utility room. In an interview with People Magazine, Collin County sheriff's deputy Steve Deffibaugh called the crime scene straight out of a horror movie as it was Friday, the 13th. Betty Gore was brutally struck 41 times with a three-foot ax with a wooden handle, which was found next to her bruised body. Betty's community was shocked to discover the chilling details about her murder as she was a fifth-grade teacher, a fellow churchgoer and a respected member of her community.

However, as Love & Death revealed, Candy Montgomery had a big motive behind killing her friend from church, which destroyed the Gore family and cost Betty her life.

Love & Death: Why did Candy Montgomery kill Betty Gore?

The Collin County deputy did not even have Candy on the radar because they could not believe a woman as petite as her could pull this kind of violent act and strike another woman 41 times. As Love & Death revealed, it was only after Allan Gore revealed the details about his illicit affair with Candy that the police found a motive.

As Allan confessed, he started an affair with Candy Montgomery on December 12, 1978. The two met at a motel and consummated their affair, which was purely physical. The couple had strict rules that they would not get 'emotionally involved' with one another, so as not to hurt their spouses. This passionate affair came to a halt in 1979 when Allan attended a marriage counseling camp with his wife and decided that he wanted to give his marriage another chance, following which, he broke off with Candy.

As depicted in Love & Death, things got messy between the two when the Gores moved into the same church circle as the Montgomerys and their children became friends. Candy's lingering feelings for Allan Gore started bubbling up until she had a heated confrontation with Betty Gore in June 1980 and killed her in cold blood.

Love & Death: Candy Montgomery was acquitted of her crime

At her trial, Candy maintained that she killed Betty in self-defense. She revealed the details about that fateful day when she went to the Gore house to pick up Alisa Gore's swimsuit and ask Betty if she could stay another night at the Montgomery house. However, things got heated when Betty bought an axe and confronted Candy about her affair with her husband, allegedly threatening to 'kill her'.

As per Texas Monthly, Candy admitted to killing her friend but she pleaded not guilty on the basis of self-defense. While the investigators found Candy's blood and hair sample on the crime scene and she had a clear motive, she was acquitted by the jury. Four years later, Candy Montgomery got separated from her husband Pat. According to Harper Bazaar, she is now working as a mental health therapist.

You can stream Love & Death on HBO Max.

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