Rotten Mango - #81: Friday The 13th Axe Killer (Case of Candy Montgomery)

Episode Date: July 14, 2021

The investigators arrived at the scene - it was Friday the 13th and the victim had been brutally killed with an axe. The victim suffered over 40 stabs with a 3ft long axe and half of her face was missing.  Was it a gang? A serial killer? It definitely wasn’t the cute little housewife that makes taco salad, takes painting classes, and was headed for church that day - because that would be crazy.  Source Notes: rottenmangopodcast.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rambles. Whether you're doing a dance to your favorite artist in the office parking lot, or being guided into Warrior I in the break room before your shift, whether you're running on your Peloton tread at your mom's house while she watches the baby, or counting your breaths on the subway. Peloton is for all of us, wherever we are, whenever we need it. Download the free Peloton is for all of us. Wherever we are, whenever we need it. Download the free Peloton app today. Peloton app available through free tier or pay to description starting at 12.99 per month. Buta bing buta boom. Welcome to this week's main episode. crazy people is gonna be turned into two drama series

Not a documentary not a docky series, but dramas on HBO Max and Hulu two separate ones at the same time At the same time and they have two top notch actresses Elizabeth Olson, you know Wanda from Wanda vision and MC universe The Elizabeth Olson is playing the lead on one of them It's gonna be crazy. So let me just drop you in on the intro. The killer was triggered. They grabbed for the axe, aimed for the victim's head. Do you like that just like sudden,

changing mood, sorry, I didn't even prevent anyone from that. And he said Elizabeth Olsen, MCU, woo! The killer was triggered, so sorry. The killer was triggered. They sorry. The killer was triggered. They grabbed the axe. They aimed for the victim's head, and the victim at the same time was trying to get up

from the blood smeared floor and slipped, and made contact with the blade of the axe, and the sound that penetrated the room was like a coconut being popped open. The killer kept going. Another blow, another one. At the top of the victim's head. Just kept continuing to swing. Their brains were seeping out onto the ground. The killer kept going.

The victim at the end was unrecognizable over 40 blows with an axe. So what does the killer do now? Well, they take a brief shower in the victim's house. This is broad daylight people. They take a shower in the victim's house. Just stand in there, let the blood wash down into the drain. This is a cocky crime. A brutal ax murder in broad daylight on the day of Friday the 13th. And the victim was axed over 42 times. We later find out that most of these 40 plus blows was while the victim's heart was pumping. So they went in, they shower, they didn't even clean up the crime scene, they get into the car, they're like, okay, act normal. Everything's gonna be okay as long as you keep it together. What's next? You have to follow your schedule, that's the only way that this works.

What do you think is next on the schedule for a killer like this? Maybe another victim? Maybe they're serial killer? Maybe the plot to install of this is, oh my god! The shock is that the killer is a serial killer that is just known as a family man. He's gonna go to his day job. So the killer checks our watch. Perfect. I have enough time to go to Target to pick up Father's Day cards for the kids. Father's Day cards for the kids. For the kids to write to their daddy. Oh and then I have to go back to church. I have to go back to church to pick up my kids. Then I have to take the kids to their swim lessons.

I should probably call my husband on the way. Okay, well everything's going to be normal. Act natural. Besides, can't you pray away this sin? So the book that I think that most of these crime drama series is being based off of or being adapted from is a book called Evidence of Love by John Bloom and Jim Adkinson. So John Bloom is an accomplished journalist and an author. He's actually written a ton of great books.

He's also a Pulitzer Prize nominee, which is kind of, I mean that's an Arley. Jim Adkinson's is also an award-winning reporter, focuses a lot on crime. They spent years talking to all of the key players involved. The main two important key players in all of this, there is so much meticulous detail in this book. I can't even, I mean, this is, I love nonfiction crime books that read like a thriller, but this one kind of reads like a movie. Like, I pictured everything in my head that as it was happening, I mean they're really good at what they do.

This is gonna go nowhere near as deep as that book. Trust me, pick up that book because there's gonna be a lot of shows on this. Elizabeth Olson is starting an HBO's Max Love and Death, which is actually the executive producer is Nicole Kidman. Is that not crazy? I love Nicole Kidman. And then Elizabeth Mars from the Handmaid's Tale. I wonder why they didn't, yeah? Nicole Kinman started in it then.

I think she's trying to do more producing roles. I mean, she's killer at producing. So then Elizabeth Mars, she's going to, the one that was an invisible man, Handmaid's Tale. She's going to be on Hulu's show that's called Candy. Fascinating, right? Yeah, so I mean, I'm going to be watching both series. I just like reading the books first if there's like a well-known book that they're adapted from so the book is almost always

better. Just read the book first because once you watch the show you don't really want to read the book but trust me the experience hits different. Now let's get on with the crime. Who is this person? Who is this person that just casually gets into the car, picks up their kids, goes to target, after brutally murdering someone with an axe. Who are all of these players and who's the victim? I just have to introduce you to everyone involved. There's a lot of people. So bear with me, but every single person is so intricately involved in this crime, and it's just so bizarre. The first being Candice Wheeler. She goes by candy, and even when she got older, everyone said that she had this teenage way about her.

Easy to get along with, very fun, just personable. Her childhood, she was an army brat. So she's moving from place to place to place because her dad was a radar technician in the army, right? Spent a lot of her childhood in Europe, France, Germany. I mean, she's well-traveled, right? Always been this blonde, cute girl. Never shy. Loved playing games. I don't know what that means, but that's what the book says. Okay, she loved freaking playing games with people, I guess.

Now, most of you would think that this is a bad childhood. You're moving around all the time. Sure, it's France, but like, you know, when you're a kid, you make a couple of friends. No, this is my permanent home. I'm not moving anywhere. But she loved it. Candy freaking loved it. She was made for this life. She loved bouncing from

place to place. She even ran away a couple of times. What happened? Was her home life bad? No. She just wanted to go roller skating and her friend had a bad home life and her friend was like, let's run away together. That sounds like a good adventure. Let's go roller skating. They were found the next day completely just starving and broken. We're like, okay, well we should probably go back home now. Eventually when she became an adult, she briefly settled into El Paso, Texas. So she starts working at this furniture shop

and this woman's working there. Cab telling her, you gotta go out with my son. You don't even understand, Candy. You're gonna love him. He's so smart. I'm telling you, one of the smartest people I've ever met is my own son. So she's like, please, please, please meet my son. He's such a catch. Okay fine. What's the harm?

I mean the best I get out of this is a frame meal So she decides to meet with him and his name is Pat Montgomery He is very important to this story, okay? Now he hated that his mom would always send a set him up with these blind dates with random girls They were never his type. He goes a little extreme and says that they were always overweight, so like really rude, I guess. And besides, he's so busy with work. Did you know Pat McGummery was one of the smartest electrical engineers in the company that he worked for? I mean, he was on a successful career path. He doesn't have time for all these flings.

So they go on their first date. It was the dullest thing in Candy's life. She was bored to death. She wanted it to be over. She wanted to go home. She wanted to go home, not only to lay in bed, but wanted to call every single human that she knew just to let them know how bored she was on this date. That's what she wanted to do. It was a nightmare. Candy got nothing out of it. So the date sucks. And even though he has potential, I mean he's trying to get his PhD, he's making good money, he's in a respectable career path, and she too wants a big family and wants this huge farmhouse, that's gonna cost money. She wants eight kids, she wants animals, that's all expensive. But he's just so boring.

So she's like, well, I mean, at least we both know that it's not a match. Like it was that boring, right? But at the end of it, he drops her off and he surprises her. Do you want to go on another date with me? She's like, what? Did we go on the same date just now? So for whatever reason, she agrees. Okay, fine, maybe this is going to be a little bit more fun.

And it was, they go into a drive-in movie, he tried to grow per fun. He drives her home, and then he asks for another date. So she says, okay, fine. I'll go on another date with you. But when that day comes around, she ghosts him. Now you would think packets of message, pat a smart, pat a's an electrical engineer or whatever. But instead, he's like, well, I'm sure she had a family emergency. I'm sure something really terrible happened because she wouldn't ghost me like that. What does he do? He goes home and sends her bouquet upon bouquet of flowers. Asking her, is everything all right? I hope you're doing well.

So she's like, okay, well that's actually really sweet. It's actually kind of cute. I should probably call him. So she calls him back and they set their next date up. Now, around this next date, the third date, Pat had recently lost his uncle. He had passed away. And for once in his life, he just opened up about everything,

about his feelings, about what it feels like to lose his uncle, about how his uncle had set him on this career path. And he just feels lonely. There was this huge bonding moment in that night, Candy went home. She called every single person that she knew. She said, I guess what? My God, I found the person that I'm gonna marry.

That's fantastic, Candy! Tell me everything, what's his name? I think it was like Pete or something. I think it was Pete. Was Pete? Was it- She doesn't know his name. Are you kidding me? Pete, something. I'm sure I can ask him on the next date.

She's like, but I'm gonna marry him. Let me tell you, he's got good earning power. A good education comes from a nice family, and he's so gentle, he's so kind, he's sent me flowers, all these letters. So they start writing these letters back and forth, and the way that candy flirts. You will see these letters in the book, like all of them, okay? And candy flirts like she is 13 years old, like she's writing things like tonight I was telling my mama about how wonderful you are and she told me on several occasions that I was going crazy, that I'm crazy in love, like just like that, okay? And he would write back a little bit of a different tone, darling Candy.

I've got my tape deck playing mood music that I recorded. It'd be a great seduction tape. You want to be seduced? Yeah, it's a little different. Yeah. It's just nice to sit and listen and think of you. And so she had him exactly where she wanted. She felt it in her bones.

This guy's gonna propose, okay? He hyped it up. It was like next time I come visit you, I've got the surprise of a lifetime, a fantastic present I tell you. This is the fourth thing, or this is, it's been a while. The Galic two weeks into knowing each other.

It was really, really sudden, right? So she's ready for marriage. Oh, beyond, right? And he comes over, it's got this dramatic gift, giving presentation. There's like balloons and shit, I. Beyond, right? And he comes over, it's got this dramatic gift-giving presentation. There's like balloons and shit, I'm sure, right? And she opens it up. The life, history, and magic of the dog?

What is this? It was a book about the comprehensive study of dogs throughout art, literature, and history, including discussions on physiology, psychology, and specialized services to mankind. Does she like dogs? No. So she does, but she wanted to be proposed to, okay? So she would then, from then on, refer to this book as a damn book.

He got me that damn book, okay? But not too long after he proposed. And in a letter, this is how serious he was compared to Candy. I'm looking forward to being the father of your baby, so it's so intense, I'm sorry, it's like really scary. And teaching them what we both believe to be right. I'd like for us to be the best parents any child could ever desire. So they have this small wedding, they get married. Now they don't have a lot of money at first, he's trying to get his PhD. They were fighting a lot, usually over a lot of stress, right? Then they have their first child, Jenny.

Made them a lot happier. And then another baby, Ian. And Candy said, you know what? I thought I wanted eight kids, but two is enough. Got her tubes tied. From there on, it just on paper, got happier and happier and happier. Pat got hired on an elite team at Texas Instruments.

Do you know Texas Instruments? Mm-mm. I thought they just sold overpriced calculators that you got to buy for school. Oh yeah. Like the T-3s and stuff, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But no, apparently they had the secret government

consulting contracts, and he was one of the very, very few people scientists that were working at the top of this I mean they're one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world to this day. They developed chips and processors for electronics It makes sense. Yeah, I just love they had these How complicated it is how expensive and why is it mandatory? I don't understand Still buying those yes So this day to this day I thought that's how they made their money, but apparently not that's just like a side hustle for Texas Instruments It's like hustling high school kids money wonder if there are some weird like deals. They sign with the government probably right that makes no sense

It's like there nobody else in the market I mean that calculator probably cost But today technology probably cost like what five dollars. I feel like I can download it on the nap, you know Oh, yeah exactly welcome to conspiracy Sweet as hired he's getting paid well and candy. She's this efficient housewife She's a stay-at-home mom, and she hated being still. So she was amazing at it. They built their dream house in a nice area near Dallas, Texas, but not in the heart of Dallas, like one of those nearby cities, a much more country-family-oriented area.

You know, they thought of Dallas is like, oh, that's where all the money hungry people go. We're too classy for that. They decided that they would start searching for a church. Neither of them were that religious, but it would be for the kids. And then we have the Gore couple. So it's two couples, the Montgomery's, Candy and Pat Montgomery, and then Betty and Alan Gore,

which I'm about to get into. Betty was a farmer's baby from Kansas, okay? She's a really pretty one at that. Did you know that she won most popular baby in her town in Kansas that has 414 residents? So they gather all the babies, which one do you like the most? So they do like a vote. It's like a presidential vote for which baby. I think that that's traumatizing for these babies, no? Yeah, I feel like it's kind of toxic. Betty was just very conventional.

That's what people loved about her. They said she's not spectacularly beautiful. She doesn't like, like you don't see her and you're like, Whoa, whoa, whoa, you're looking too good. You're just kind of like, wow. You're pretty. She was a do-it-all type of girl. Very different from Candy.

She played the clarinet, drove a tractor, tried to be feminine, you know, tended to her family's roosters. And according to interviews done for the book, tended to her family's roosters, and according to interviews done for the book, they called her, and I quote, a nice girl, wholesome, uncomplaining, responsible, and intelligent. She's the kind of girl every mother wants her son to marry. And her main goal in life was to become a teacher. If a paper was due, she would actually have it the day that the paper was assigned, not

the day that it was due, which all of us are like, what? I can't relate to that, that's bizarre. So finally in college, she had one subject, one that she sucked at. Just horrendous, and she was so upset in those mathematics. Just could not get the hang of math, and the math teaching assistant, Alan Gore, was there, and she's like, can you give me a tutoring session? Oh yeah, I'll give you a tutoring session. So they mean in the library and truly he just gave her a tutoring session. Both of them were very by the books people, you know. So really until she graduated, until she wasn't his student anymore, it was just by the books in the books studying. I mean

he came from the farm too and they both had no prior serious relationships, so finally Alan confessed that he was in love. Alan was in love because Betty was in love with him. It's almost like she worshipped him. So it's like this very odd relationship. Like I think both of these couples have some strange things going on. Now Alan falls in love with her because she is simple, not a complicated girl. That's what he said.

Very passive. That's what she is. So they start dating. Most of their time, they're just going to the libraries. The most drama that their relationship ever had wasn't like the scandalous fight or a slap on the face. You can never do a throwing of the water cup flirting with other... No, it was that Alan was not that attractive. And so Betty's family and friends were like, well, why do you want to settle down with this one? I mean, so many people from home want you. So we've had set you up with, geez Louise, you know, our next door neighbor. The George.

The George from down the street. You know he went most popular male, baby? The same year that you did. I mean, it's like a match made in heaven. You know, this Alan guy, he's got a belly. He's got like a receiving hairline and he's like a match made in heaven. You know, this Alan guy, he's got a belly. He's got like a receiving hairline and he's like, what, 20 years old? I mean, by the time he's 30, he's gonna have no hair left, Betty.

Like, you gotta think, you gotta think hard about this. He's got those big cheeks. What is he hiding in those cheeks, Betty? And she's like, no, I love this man. I'm gonna marry him. So they get married and they have this really stable relationship I mean so stable if they had a vacation in July Betty had the itinerary ready in January That's cute down to the tea

What they're gonna eat they're gonna walk this much They're gonna take a break sit on this specific bench to look out at the ocean, you know It was it was all planned the only problem that she had in the beginning of this relationship is that she had this huge phobia that developed. She was terrified of Alan going out of town, even if it was for work. She would even start crying at the idea of him going on a business trip. So one time she broke down completely while he's out on a business trip and like the next state over. Just bawling her eyes out. She picked up the phone and called Allen's boss. Please let him come home. Why do you keep sending him away?

Can't you just give him a job where he doesn't have to go out of town? Like, please. And Allen was shocked. I mean, he's like, Betty, like, we are adults. We can't be doing that. I can't believe you even called my, I'm going to be in so much trouble.

Do you not know how embarrassing this is? Uh-huh. So then the next time that he goes out of town, I mean it was so bad that at one point she had an affair with someone else, a one night stand with a random person because he was out of town. What? And when he came back she confessed everything and said that she was so confused. I don't understand why I did this. I was just so scared of being alone and And I promise it will never happen again.

And Alan was upset, but he decided I'm going to get over it. And she never had another affair. Wait, that's a really weird behavior. Yeah. At first, you were like, she doesn't want him to leave her at all. And then next time he did it, she cheated on him. So in the book, Alan does tell the authors.

He didn't really know if this was Betty trying to control him, like a her way of doing it, like oh if you go out, this is the consequences, the punishment, or if she was so genuinely terrified of being alone. But she did never have another affair, even though he went out on business. Okay. Yeah, so I'll give her that, right? Later Alan would actually grow resentful because he felt like he couldn't travel for work because of her, and there was just a lot of mixed emotions.

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She was just, this wasn't going well. She was a very strict disciplinarian. So all the other teachers, students, and even parents thought that she was too hard. She's like, a Betty. I saw that serious. It's almost like she demanded perfectionism from everyone. And she was like teaching like second graders, you know? That's you. He's pointing at himself. Yeah. At least I just don't see how I can raise a kid without getting frustrated every second. What do you mean you don't understand this? What do you mean you don't understand how to pay taxes to the IRS?

You're too! You should know this! So she's like teaching second graders and she is just expecting them to be little adults. And people are keep trying to tell her that that's not how it works. So then she develops postpartum after her first child. She has stressed induced physical symptoms. She was in and out of the doctor's office probably once or twice a week. She had anxiety.

Seemed like, you know, she didn't really have a lot of friends. She was just separated from everything. Here is a letter from Betty to Allen. Now, there's a lot of letters in this book, but I'll read you this one. It says, dear Alan, sometimes I have doubts about my worth as a person. I wonder if I'm really accomplishing anything. But if you express your pride in me, then I feel reassured that I'm really important. I just need to be reassured and told this often.

Just as I need to see and feel tangible evidence of your love. I love you, love, Betty. Sounds like such a relatable relationship problem, right? So how do these two couples collide? A church? They go to church, okay? So they all met at Lucas Church. Now what's fascinating is that both couples lived closer to a ton of other churches, to a ton of other Methodist churches, right? Which is, you know, the type of church that they want to go to, but they chose Lucas Church Church from maybe two reasons. The first being that they had a female leader named Jackie that everybody loved. She was religious without being religious. She was caring. She was understanding.

She was not judgmental. And she would never tell people that they were going to hell. So they just loved it, you know, like she makes you feel good about being religious. That's crazy. And so some allegations are that these housewives, they wanted more of a social club than a church. That's what the police say. So that's why they chose Lucas Church. Because Jackie was a strong leader, but they didn't have a board of leaders. A lot of churches, I mean, they're almost... Not in um... Sometimes the way that it's set up, like these people, they have jobs, you know?

So there is a hierarchy of who is running this and who's running that, right? But this church did not have that. So these housewives kind of took over these jobs. They became the leaders of the church. Totties. With no really. It's like a community. Yeah, more like a club is how everyone said it.

Not your stereotypical church. They did, I mean, some of them did seem rather religious, though. So around this time, I mean, Candy was bored out of her mind. She's attending these churches. She's dropping our kids off at a, at school, picking them up, making lunches, baked tacos, taco salad, lasagna, just doing the most. Pat comes home after work, he's tired. Then he works from home. Then he wants to go on a jog. Pat and her aren't having sex, I mean, she's just so unsatisfied. So much that she starts telling all her friends, and even the pastor, I'm thinking of having an affair.

What do you guys think? What are you crazy? Listen, Pat's just not exciting. He works all the time. He doesn't appreciate me. He treats me like I'm just some paid employee of the house. Can you believe it? I feel like I'm just waiting for something better to come along. Some of the church women were really upset when they heard things like this because I mean it just seemed

What's going on? This is so scandalous at church of all places go go take this up somewhere else at book club or something lady But the one person that never really heard was Betty Gore, because Betty was just not that easy to get to know. So she wasn't really one of the gals at this church. I mean, she went to church, but if anything, Alan was a lot more popular at church. So Candy was active, Pat was the shy one in their relationship, and then we've got Betty who's the shy one, but Alan was outgoing. So the church forms this volleyball league.

Candy's like, well, maybe this ball is so distracting that I won't be thinking about extra marital balls, you know. So I'm just gonna play with this ball, joins the volleyball league, okay? And her thoughts are just taken over. She would even talk to her pastor during these volleyball league practices very frankly, like I want sex that's not gonna mess up my marriage. You know what I mean? Like I don't want it to mess up my family. That's, I don't want to lose all of that. Where is she saying that? Yeah, I don't want to lose all of that. I just want sex. Sex that is better than any other sex that I've ever had in my life. The kind of sex that women have in those books, in

those movies. Just pop up up up. Fireworks. That's what I want. Crazy, crazy sex. Wow. And then they're like, watch out, Candy, there's a ball in your face. That's what I want. Crazy, crazy sex! Wow. And then they're like, watch out Candy, there's a ball in your face! Okay? So on the volleyball court, eyes are on the balls. She has this moment where she's just eyes on the prize. That big old ball leaning towards it, putting, jumping up, trying to catch it, and she bumps into someone. Alan Gore, who also plays on the team. They

try to get the ball at the same time. They bump into each other and this is the first time that she was close enough to smell him. And she said he smelled so sexy. So that night she goes home, she calls out baller friends. I I mean he's the opposite of my type, you know He just but I mean he's got that belly. He's got those cheeks. He's got the receding hairline But I mean, I don't know what's wrong with me, but he just smelled so strong just so powerful so masculine Just so sexy. I mean who knew maybe what do you guys think? Do you think Alan Gore is hiding a wild side? Maybe and she's also married. Yeah Precisely so the next few weeks candy is you know kind of looking at Alan

He's looking at her and she's like I think he wants to have an affair with me And he would joke with her and she'd turn around I think he wants to have an affair with me and it would just keep going until weeks later She just couldn't do it anymore. This was just so exciting and wild. Meanwhile her sex life with Pat was so freaking boring. Just wanted some wild sex so after volleyball practice one day she goes straight up to Alan in the parking lot who's just getting ready to drive away in this car. Alan?

I would like to talk to you about something. Uh sure, how about right now? She gets into the car. According to the book, she says, and I quote, I've been thinking about you a lot, and it's, it's really bothering me. And I don't know whether I want you to do anything about it or not. Wait, what, what are you saying? Can't be, what? I'm really attracted to you, and I'm tired of thinking about it, so I wanted to tell you. Then she left the car, slammed the door, and ran to her car.

Did not look back. What is happening at this church, okay? Didn't even look at it. Did not look back. Didn't even get him a chance to answer. Just blurred it this out and left. So she's acting like a middle school girl. Yes, so he's shocked.

Which has happened. I'm a married man. What's wrong? She's a married woman This is on church ground Parking out of the Jesus is watching with the heck is going on God on God. This is crazy You know, but he was a little bit intrigued He said wow someone like candy is sexually interested in me this

Confiled candy is one of the most attractive and fun women in this church, you know? Oh, he thinks that one. Oh, yeah. And of course he couldn't help but wonder, you know, what would it be like to have sex with her? Meanwhile at home, sex is so boring for Alan because they were trying to have their second child. They really only had sex during peak fertility, you know, because you gotta make sure the soda bottle is full, I think. Is what they say or something along those lines. So that when it comes time for peak fertility, it's just put in Mentos in a cook can, you get it. I'm doing too much today. So they don't have fun. They don't have fun. And then it's not fun. It's just labor, he said. He was sick of it. I mean, conceiving a child a lot of the times when you're trying,

just labor, he said. He was sick of it. I mean, conceiving a child a lot of the times, when you're trying, to nobody's fault, it's just not fun. But he still loved Betty. He would never do anything to herder, but he wanted to know more. So after the next practice, they talk again, and Candy breaks ice first.

Alan, would you be interested in having an affair? What? I've been thinking about it, and I wanted to say it, so I don't have to think about it anymore, you know? Oh candy, I don't think I can, it wouldn't be wise, I love Betty! One time she had an affair and I was so hurt I would never do that to her. Oh, okay that's fine, I love my husband Pat too. Also Betty just got pregnant again. So it would be super unfair to her.

Okay, well I was just putting it out there. I don't want to hurt your marriage. All I wanted to do was go to bed and I'll just never mention it again. And she's so embarrassed. Just please get out of my car, right? Alan get out of my car. I just want to go home, right? But instead he leans over and kisses her on the lips.

And what does he do? Doesn't make eye contact immediately gets up, opens the door, slams a chat, and runs to the other side of the parking lot to his car and drives home. What is going on? And they didn't talk for weeks. They would make awkward eye contact at church,

but they did not talk for weeks. And finally, on her 29th birthday, he called her out. This is Alan, I just wanted to see if you wanted to get lunch one day. I just want to talk. So of course, Candy agreed, because this is confusing. He said no, but he also kissed me, so like what's going on, right? So just hypothetically speaking, let's do this. They go to lunch, they start talking. For the next couple of weeks, they just hypothetically speaking, let's do this. They go to lunch and they start talking. For the next couple of weeks, they just hypothetically talk about an affair. Which, honestly, that's so heartbreaking for the other partners

because a hypothetically talking about an affair is to me pretty much talking about, let's plan this, right? And they'd say, well, hypothetically, we don't want to hurt our partners. Nobody can find out. We don't want this to be messy Neither of us can have emotional involvement. That would be too dangerous. We can't get too involved So just sex that's the only way that this works Let's come up with a list of rules So they had rules that both of them had to sign off of. Number one, if either of them wants to end the affair, that's it. Final. No questions asked. Two, if either of them

get too emotionally attached, affair ended. Three, if they start taking too many risks, you know, if they start being so risky that they may get caught, affair ended. Number four, all expenses, food, gas, motelel room will be split equally. Five, they will only meet on weekdays while their spouses were at work. Six and seven, candy will be in charge of fixing the lunch so that they can save time and money. So they'll go to a motel room during Allen's two-hour lunch. And eat lunch that candy is made at home and brought to the motel room and then they'll have sex. So they've like got it meticulously planned out. I mean, I would think that this takes away all the,

like what people would typically want in an affair, like that spontaneity that they're not getting from a marriage, right? But they're like just planning it to the tee. You know, candy would get the motel room since Allen's lunch break is just two hours long. They would meet only once for every two weeks and it would always be a Tuesday or Thursday.

And they would begin the affair, market calendars December 12th. So finally, they meet in that it was called the Komo Mattel Room. Candy had prepped a wonderful lunch at this cute little they brought wine and they had sex for the first time. And after weeks, months of planning it and thinking about it and talking about it, it was spectacularly average. Time and after weeks months of planning it and thinking about it and talking about it. It was spectacularly average Okay, just satisfying but nothing more and candy was shocked He was not that good in bed not that good at all

Not fireworks not a romance novel, but she had hope you know for a couple of reasons number one He had potential. She could guide him to being riskier and sex, to being crazy or wilder and bad. And secondly, most importantly, Alan had the most beautiful penis that she had ever seen. And that is candy, not me. Okay, I've never seen it.

Okay. You said, you want to bet? They would meet every other week. Gorm is parked by candy taco salad, you know Lasagna they would sit in the motel room talk about life their partners family church Then they would have sex beyond their way they would also talk on the phone when they could and Alan was so shocked And how easily he could have an affair, but he was pregnant with their second child He was so worried. I mean this is someone that's in their lives But he was pregnant with their second child. He was so worried.

I mean, this is someone that's in their lives. Their daughters or friends, Jenny and Alyssa, they're like best friends. They see each other at church. He thought Betty would notice something. He thought Betty would be like, hey, you've been acting a little weird today. Or hey, I don't feel connected to you recently. Nothing! Alan was just a cold-hearted, a fair person.

Who's made for this life. Even at church, nothing was awkward. Nobody suspected anything. This is amazing. Until it's not. And Candy was a breath of fresh air. I mean, she's so energetic, self-confident, easy to talk to, just animated a warm person.

Meanwhile, Betty, she's pregnant. It's probably all the hormones, you know? She's Betty, she's pregnant. It's probably all the hormones, you know? It's pretty, she's pregnant. Like how can you compare someone who you're having in a fair with with your wife who is pregnant is probably dealing with so much stress as working and you're like, home but this woman, she's easy going. Yeah, because she's not your wife and she's not pregnant. So within a few months, Candy tries to break it off.

She's like, you know, I don't think the sex is that good to be honest and I am wasting your wife and she's not pregnant. So within a few months, Candy tries to break it off. She's like, you know, I don't think the sex is that good to be honest? And I am wasting so much of my time in life making these lasagna's, prepping these little picnic lunches, and I'm just not getting the payoff that I deserve. Like, if I'm spending all this time making the lasagna, I mean, you could eat something else other than lasagna. Do you know what I'm saying, Alan? Like, do you, are you picking up what I'm putting down? Or are you not going down? And so he was like, no, Candy, you can't. We both owe it to ourselves to see this through, to see what happens.

What? Okay, fine. So she stays with him. Now, Candy hates this. Didn't like this sex, but oddly enough, at the same time she felt like she was falling in love with Alan. It's bizarre, it's really bizarre. So she kind of resented him for the sex part,

but she loved the company of him talking to her. They even wrote letters to each other. I mean, it was fulfilling a part of her life that Pat just couldn't. And Alan was getting comfortable. He was loving it. He loved the fancy lunches that Candy made. Candy would leave little cookies on his car

while he was at work. And it got to a point that he almost started expecting them, he would get out of work like where the f*** my cookie is at. Just like really aggressive, so then Candy tried to back out of the affair, another time, told Alan like I'm terrified, you we said that we would end it if I start feeling feelings, and I'm feeling them right now, and they're really a lot. No, you're gonna be fine, you're not gonna fall in love with me. I'm telling you that I am. Nah. You're just, it's just in your head. You're not really.

And so he talked her into staying in the affair a second time. So for whatever reason, at this point, candy through a surprise party, a surprise baby shower for Betty Gore. I don't know what is running through these people's minds. I'm gonna be honest with you. I think they are way too bored in this little suburban town, okay? So she throws this. It was a Chinese themed-er baby shower. Oh no. Yeah.

I don't know if it was like Chinese themed or if they called it a Chinese baby shower because they had Chinese food. I don't know, but they have this baby shower for Betty Gore. And thought it would just be a bunch of fun to have all the church girls be together, did not even consider how awkward it would be, but everyone did have a lot of fun. Even Betty, Betty didn't suspect a thing. So Beth and E. Gore was born in the midst of the affair between Candy and Alan. And so Alan let's her know, hey, I'm gonna be staying home a lot more.

I don't think I can see you as often because I gotta take care of the baby. But when he finally gets back to the motel to see Candy, he says something terrible's happened. I've got to end this affair. What happened? Well, the other night Betty wanted to have sex. She almost never wants to have sex and she was really aggressive that night

just coming on to me. And I had just recently had sex with you, right? So I was just so tired. I just was so tired, just too much sex, you know? And so I said, I can't do this anymore. And she just started sobbing all night long, saying, you don't love me, am I too fat after the baby? And I tried to reassure her, but I mean, she was just so upset.

So I need to end the affair with you. And Candy was upset, not because the affair was over, but because she's like, this is not fair. When I tried to end it multiple times, you always guilt tripped me. But now you're going to care to be this great loving husband and you care so much about your freaking wife because she cried last night. Like, are you kidding me? This is ridiculous. Well, Candy, I'm going gonna be a great husband now.

I'm gonna go to this thing called Marriage Encounter. So Marriage Encounter was this weekend outing that a lot of these church couples went to. A couple marriage counselors go to this motel and they just tell you to write stuff. It's all about communication, honesty, and transparency, but the kicker of it all, and this is the part that would drive me insane if I ever went is that you can't talk you have to write it down yeah I like that okay yeah maybe we should go I feel like I talk faster than I write that's the problem so Alan and Betty they go to marriage and counter for the weekend and they did so well.

They wrote all the letters that they were told to, wanted to fix their relationship, how much they love each other, all of that. They even had sex, fireworks, sex, pop, pop, it was great, it was amazing. Alan understood that Betty is not a bitch, you know? He was thought, why is she so mean to me? Turns out, well she's anxious, she is a mother, she me? Turns out, well, she's anxious. She is a mother. She is working. She's tired.

She's stressed. She's terrified. She's just trying to figure out life too. I mean, what the heck? They're both trying to figure it out at the same time. She's just trying to be strong. But he took it as her being mean and being a bitch, you know? So they just had this beautiful bonding moment.

And then when they got home, Betty discovered she had a small lump on her breast. And she was terrified. Meanwhile, Candie's dropping off Alyssa after a play date and Alan tells her. Betty's found a lump in her breast. She's really upset. Um, I'm sorry to hear that. I mean, this is the wife of the man that she just died in a fair with, right? Mm-hmm. They think it's benign.

Oh, well, that's good. Anyway, I guess I'll see you guys at church. She goes home and a couple days later she gets a letter in the mail. Opens it up, it's from Allen. He was pissed. He said, how dare you be so cold? When I told you about Betty's, you know, lump in her chest. You had no emotion, you had no reaction. You have, you know, heart?

What? Besides, the affair is over. You have, you know, heart? What? Besides, the affair is over. We were both using each other anyway. Let's just never see each other unless it's at church. So when they write meals, it never gets caught? I guess not. Oh, guess maybe the husband never checked them out of box.

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text Mango to 388-17. That's mango to 388-17. To get 20% off at PyroVita. So Candy was beside herself. I mean, the audacity, right? This is just bizarre. So she moves on with her life. She doesn't necessarily think that an affair is bad. Just not with Alan. So she starts one with a married man by the name of Richard. Now this was very short. He was incredibly possessive, wanted to take a bunch of risks, wanted to call the house when Pat was home, just kept saying things like, what if we get married? Just doing the most. So she breaks it off. And when that ended, candy was so stressed.

And she starts talking to her friends. Maybe I've been barking up the wrong tree. Maybe I don't need an affair. Maybe I need a hobby. You should have thought about that a while ago, right? Maybe I can get my marriage back on track. And everything's going to be perfect. She was going to go start her marriage encounter with Pat. She wanted to do the weekend thing too. I mean, she saw the change in Betty and Alan and all of her church friends. They could do it too. So she drags Pat along and he didn't really like it, but they went through it. It was a fun experience.

It was definitely not as life-changing as it was for the goers, but they had fun. And when she gets back, she's on this path to rediscovering herself. Maybe she'll write a novel about her life. Starter on business. She wanted to take painting classes, thought that she could start her own business of painting and wallpapering people's houses, went to FedEx, printed some business cards,

started handing those out to neighbors, and when she was making herself busy, she was officially over Allen. On second thought, on second thought, you know, what, I couldn't even believe what I saw in him. First of all, his eyes are too close together. Second of all, his hairline's not that great. And she's just like, I'm completely over it.

She goes on this writer's retreat for the weekend, Pat's alone with the kids, and that's when Pat just, he has this bursting loneliness that's happening. Okay, Candy's gone for the first time in a really long time. Oh man, where were those marriage encounter letters that we wrote to each other? So he starts digging for them and instead he comes across a letter written by another man Talked about their sex about how nice it was even said the word affair multiple times But now this man wants to focus on his marriage signed love

Alan The guy from church so Pat starts to cry and he he starts thinking all these things He's gonna go to the writers retreat to cause a scene. No, no, no He's not gonna do that. He's gonna pack up his stuff and he's gonna leave. No, no, no He's not gonna do he's gonna call Betty and Alan and guess who's he's gonna tell? He's gonna freaking tell Betty what their spouses have been doing No, on second thought, never mind. Betty's innocent in all of this.

She didn't do anything. She doesn't need that heartache. And she just had a child, you know? No, no, no. OK, I'm going to call Candy's friends. So he calls Candy's best friend, Sherry. Is she still having an affair? What?

Listen, I know. OK, just tell me. No, Pat, it meant nothing, and it's over now, and it was just a silly mistake, trust me. And so he hangs up the phone, and he keeps thinking about it, and he decides there's only one way to do this. And he drives to the flower shop. And he buys a bunch of roses, a dozen roses.

It writes this beautiful letter to Candy explaining how he understands. It was really his fault. Wow. He pushed her away. Wow. So she comes home, he gives her the letter and flowers and she's sobbed. And they promised that they would work it out. And Candy was just fully ashamed of herself.

They needed to do something. So Pat wants to take Candy out on a vacation. They called it a second honeymoon. It'll be beautiful. So the Montgomery's, they're planning this. Meanwhile, the Gores, they're planning their own vacation. They were going to work on their marriage. Everything was looking better for each perspective couple. What could possibly go wrong? Well, Friday the 13th could go wrong. That's what. So the last day of, this is like bringing back memories. I used to be a church kid, okay? It's called VBS, you know what that stands for? Vacation Bible Study. So it's the last day of VBS. I used to look forward to this so much. So Friday the 13th and Candy hauled her two kids in the back seat as well as Alyssa Gore, Betty's daughter.

It's like I said, Candy's daughter and Betty's daughter are best friends. They just had a sleepover. It had been months since the affair ended. So things were kind of getting back to normal for these two couples. And they thought it's gonna be fine. Betty had no idea. Only Alan, Candy, and Pat knew. Betty had no idea, right?

So the little kids are like, please mom, can I lose this sleepover again? Please, please, please, please, please. Okay, fine. The only problem is this is going to add a lot to Candy's day. So once she drops them off, if a list is sleeping over, she has to go pick up a list of swimsuit from Betty's house, because Alyssa has like swim practice, you know, she's got to take her to swim. Okay, she's like planning all of this and she's thinking in her head, okay, okay, I gotta go to the gore house, pick up Alyssa's stuff, then I gotta go to

target, pick up father's day cards because father's day is coming soon, then I gotta pump gas, then I have to make it back to the VBS for the luncheon for all the parents that helped out. Okay, okay, okay, I can do this. Drops off the kids at church, tells the other ladies, listen, this is my plans, I'm gonna be back in time for the kids puppet show, don't worry, Jump back into her car and start striving to Betty Gore's house. For whatever reason, she does not give Betty a heads up. Just starts driving there. She's wearing this burgundy blouse She's wearing her little, you know jeans that she wears every summer. Just a very casual day.

And when she gets there, Betty opens the door. Betty, I have a special favorite ask you. The girls want a list that go see the movie with us tonight. I told them if that's okay with you. It's okay with me, and I'll be happy to take a list of her swimming lessons to, you know, save you the extra trip. Yeah, sure, that's fine. Come on in. Betty seemed really distracted. So if you go into the book, I mean, they go into in--depth on like really every micro-action in this scene, right?

I thought it would be, but anyways, I just ran down from the Bible school to get a list of swimsuit. Where is it? Oh, by the way, where's Bethany, the baby? Uh, she's back in bed. Oh, man, I wanted to play with her, but that's fine. Candy, if you could remember, when you take a list of swimming you have to give her her peppermint. She hates putting her face under the water so when she dies we give her peppermint as a reward.

And Betty is apologizing. She's like, hold on. I gotta find the peppermint. I gotta find all of this stuff. I just, I'm prepping because we're going on vacation soon and I haven't gotten anything done and Alan's out of town now and it's just all on me. So she sounds or seems distressed? So Candy's like, oh don't worry, you're gonna have a blast on vacation.

Yeah, but the only problem is now my kid wants to take the new puppy to vacation and the puppy is six months old and it's just, it's impossible. You have a puppy? I mean Candy's like a kid, okay? So Candy's like, you have a puppy, I have to go play with your puppy. They go into the backyard. They start you know playing with the puppy and just as candy is like well it's time for me to go like can you give me all the stuff so I can get out of here. I have a million you know errands to run. Betty is sitting on a chair staring at candy with a blank stare and very calmly says candy did you have an affair with Alec? So Candy gets back into the car.

It's okay, act natural. Is the car even moving? Everything feels so strange. She doesn't even know what she's doing. Oh God, what's that smell? I'm gonna gag. Why am I, why am I close what? What do I do?

My toe hurt so much. What is, what is my toe hurt so much? What do I say about my toe? My freaking toe! Okay, I'm just going to tell people it was the storm drain. Yeah, we haven't fixed the storm drain at home. That's why I hurt my toe. I can't go back to the church like this.

Oh my god, what does that smell? Okay, candy thing, thing, thing, thing. You have to go home, you have to dry yourself. Then you have to go back to church. That's it. You have to act like nothing's wrong. So she rushes back home. Her head is spinning.

She matched the shade of her jeans for a new pair which is this really bad at me for thinking but I'm thinking if you're gonna commit a crime you're in advance by the same outfit duplicate of the outfit so she by she puts on the same pair of jeans right she washes her burgundy shirt thank god it was burgundy for her I guess she rings it out throws it into the dryer, waits for it to dry. She takes a shower. She's got this cut on her hairline. It was painful. She dries her hair, dries her clothes, puts on the same blouse, a different pair of jeans

that look identical and goes back to church. She will be wearing the same thing when she gets back, essentially. No one would even notice that she changed. Except her shoes. She always wore sandals in the summer, but today, because of her toe, she wore tennis shoes when she went back. But these are such micro details

using people notice? There was one person who did notice later. That she changed her shoes? Yeah, but it wasn't like that big of a detail. So Candy doesn't make it back in time for the puppet show. And when she gets back to church, she's out of breath. Everyone's like, where have you been? You missed the puppet show.

Oh my God. I went to beddies. We started talking when I looked down at my time at my watch. I thought, I gotta go to Target for Father's Day cards, right? So I drive all the way to Plano, Texas. I get to Target. I park in the parking lot.

But then I realized that my watch has stopped. So then when I find out the real time, I mean, I was so late, I didn't even go into the target. I just went to the parking lot. I turned around came back to church. I mean, I'm just so upset because I wanted to see the puppet show Oh Okay, then someone else would come. Oh my god. You miss the puppet show. Where were you? Oh my god, so I went to beddies and she would tell the same exact story over and over again And that place her exactly at the crime scene. Yeah

Because she told everyone she was going. Oh my god. Right, so they all sat down to eat lunch. Candy was a little bit quieter than usual, but nothing strange. She did keep going to the bathroom to check on herself though. Maybe it was her vanity that was peeping out, or maybe it was the gash on her head that would start bleeding on her forehead. And so she was scared that that would reveal her as a murderer. The rest of the day she goes about it as completely normal, takes a list at a swim lessons, then takes the kids to watch Star Wars with Pat during the Star Wars movie. She said that she blacked out for most of it.

She just, because for the first time that day, she didn't have any distractions, she just had to sit there and watch the movie. Meanwhile, Alan Gore was out of town and he's getting nervous. He was on a business trip and he thought it would be okay because they had this wonderful vacation plan to soon. So he's like, just this one business trip babe and she seemed fine, but when he called her from the airport, Betty was not picking up. That's strange. So they pick up the monk gummeries with the kids, right? So candy and pat with the kids, they pick up taco delight on their way home. They all sit around to eat. And that's when the phone starts ringing. Oh, hey, Alan. Pat's like, Alan, he's looking over. She's like, what's going on? Have you seen Betty? I'm trying to get her for several hours. She won't pick up. Oh, it's probably not a big deal. I mean, I don't know where she could be.

No, no, listen. She's just not in a good place right now. She's late on her period. She's terrified that she can be pregnant again with her third child, and she doesn't want to be pregnant right now. It's going to ruin the vacation, and she's scared of having postpartum depression again. Will do you want me to go check up on her? No, it's fine. I'll just call a neighbor. So Alan hangs up.

He calls his neighbor Richard. They weren't that close. If anything, Richard thought that Alan was a bit strange, right? So he's like, please, can you just go knock on the door and check up on my wife. So Richard rushes over there, knock, knock, no answer. But his kids are alone in the house, you know? Richard's kids. So he rushes back home.

And he's like, sorry, Alan. Like, she must be out. I knocked a couple of times, but she didn't answer. Oh, okay. So he rushes back home and he's like, sorry Alan, like she must be out. I knocked a couple of times, but she didn't answer. Oh, okay. So he hangs up a couple more hours past. 10 o'clock comes around. This is Betty's bedtime. So he calls the neighbor again. Can you check up on her just one more time? Can you see if her car is in the garage? So rushes. Oh yeah, hey Alan, there's cars in the garage and the lights are on in the house, so probably is home That doesn't make sense. You know the lights are on okay. Okay, thanks wait a little bit longer calls him again Please can you just go to the back of the house or check the back door? It just do something

So Richard runs over there, but this time he just gets a weird feeling Just something feels weird. I feel like key probably sends something to at this point Yeah, like lights on cards here. Nobody's answering Alan's calling. He's probably freaking out Just something feels weird. I feel like Key probably sends something to at this point. Yeah. Like lights on, cards here, nobody's answering. Alan's calling. He's probably freaking out. Yeah, so he goes back and he just says, Alan, I don't know what it is, but something feels wrong.

So he tells him, Richard, you listen to me. I want you to get in the house in any way possible. I don't care if you have to break windows, break through a door, please, just get into my house and call me back ASAP. So he hangs up but Allen's, I mean he's in this hotel room on a business trip getting stressed out. So he calls another neighbor that lives across from him. Please get in my house no matter

what. Freakin break through a window if you have to kick the door and I don't care. Can you please check out my wife and my kid right now? So three men show up at the house around the same time. They're like, okay, well, maybe let's break a window. But when Richard tries the door, it was all silent. Because it just swung open. Very strange. Betty? No answer. So they start entering the house, searching for her,

and they turn into a room. Oh, no, oh my god, no, no, something's wrong. Oh my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, my god, god, my god, my god, my god, my The baby had just been left in her crib all day. So they get the baby out of there, leave the baby with their wives, and they start searching the rest of the house. When they open the door to the utility room, which is kind of like a laundry room, so it had a washer, a dryer, and a freezer. One of them opens it and slams it shut immediately. She's dead. Did you see the body?

No, no, no, I can't see the body, but I saw all the blood. It's like an ocean of blood. So they start freaking out. Okay, well someone's got to check. So one of them goes in and they see that Betty's arm was so badly hurt. It looked like it had been severed from her body. There was a sea of blood that was now completely black almost. Her face was, um, her teeth were exposed. So they said it was eerily almost in this half-grin. Her left eye was open and staring, and the entire right side of her face was smashed in. It looked like the entire right side of her face had disappeared, including her right eye. There was blood, brain matter, and tissue all over, and around her body they would later

find a three-foot-long axe on Friday the 13th. The only thing that made this worse is that on the kitchen table there was a newspaper that was open to the movie review of the movie The Shining, which is about a psychopathic axe murderer. So could this be some sort of copycat crime? Horror movie, you know thing? A cult? And when they first saw her, they all kept saying, oh my god, she's blown her head off.

Which is a really dark way of saying it. They believe that she had shot herself because of how bad the damage was. Yeah. And all the blood. So they reach for the phone to call the police, but it rings. And they pick it up

Hello Hey, it's Alan what's going on over there? And they all just keep paying playing hot potato with the phone like you don't I don't want to tell it, you know So they're passing the phone around and finally one of them says Alan I'm afraid it's not good, but don't worry the little one is okay What do you mean my baby's okay? Okay, well, what about Betty? I'm sorry, Alan. It looks like she's been shot. What? We don't even have a gun. Alan, I'm sorry. Are you gonna be okay? So they hang up, they call the police,

and another call is made to Candy's house. Right as Candy and Pat were about to have sex, and Pat was a little bit upset about this, okay? The phone rings. Candy picks it to Candie's house. Right as Candie and Pat were about to have sex and Pat was a little bit upset about this, okay? The phone rings. Candie picks it up. It's Alan. Candie. I have bad news. But he's dead. It looks like she's been shot. The neighbors found her. I know that she's been upset. She was too weak to lay on her period. She didn't want to be pregnant, but I never thought that she would, you know. And you know, he thinks that she ended her own life. But why is he calling Candy? Yeah, bizarre. So meanwhile, the Gore House, I mean, it's going down. All the neighbors gathered once the police started coming.

I mean, the police in this town, why is that? Wait, that's all he said to Candy? That's it. Just the statement. Yeah. Okay. Seems like he was going around calling everyone. Probably in shock shock I think it like in this hotel room yet nobody got it Okay, so I mean I there's like no protocol on what to do

Yeah, and maybe he was just so used to calling us so we called her immediately now when the police get there There hadn't been a murder case in this tiny town for like a decade This is wily Texas not Dallas Texas so the jurisdiction was a little bit different. The police searched the house. They realized the killer had taken a calm shower before leaving. It's not crazy. Not only do we have a crazy Friday the 13th Axe Martyr, but they're crazy and psychopath-ing enough to take a freaking shower in the victim's house. We're looking for the next Ted Bundy, you guys. But that's so dangerous because they could have left the hair. Exactly. That's hair. Exactly.

That's DNA. So they're like, this is the next headbundi. That's how balsy this person is. Full on serial killer, and the person is still out there. The community starts going crazy. They start calling the cops. I saw, and I quote,

we saw a whistling fat man standing under a lamp post and he was whistling. I think it's him. What? Like they were just calling anybody. Just anybody. The police think that the crime couldn't have been pre-meditated because of the weapon of choice.

It's not clean, it's not discreet. There's a lot of blood involved. I'll just really intense. It's stupid, it's a passionate crime. An ax murder, right? The footprints in the blood, they're small. That's confusing, they were expecting the next tight bungee, is this, maybe a woman, maybe a child? What's going on here? The mutilation to Betty's face was considered overkill.

Why did someone hate Betty gourd this much? This does not make sense. There were about 42 ax wounds on the body, many of them on Betty's face. They had penetrated her skull and inter-brain on multiple occasions. It was concluded in autopsy's later that Betty's heart was beating for at least 40 of the blows. Oh my god. So the medical examiners were very busy the next day, but so were the church ladies. The phone calls just kept coming in. Candy, have you heard about Betty? Yeah, I heard she was shot.

Oh god, I called as soon as I heard. You're keeping a list of right? She doesn't know. Okay, okay, then another call. Candy, it's your win. Do you know that Betty's dead? They were just going around calling each other. Oh, it's completely awful.

Oh, now I'm hearing on the news that it was an axe. Candy, have you heard? It must have been a crazy person. I mean, an axe that's insane. This crazy maniac is on the loose. What do we do? I have a really big problem. Okay. I used to do this thing where if something was stressing me out or something was making me a little bit anxious, I just want to look at it. I'm like, if I don't look at it, it doesn't exist. And let me tell you, it screwed me up big time because I had this thing where I dreaded look at it, it doesn't exist. And let me tell you, it screwed me up big time because I had this thing where I dreaded

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Don't forget to use our URL to let them know that we sent you. Lone amounts will be determined based on your credit income and certain other information provided in your loan application. Go to upstart.com slash rotten. So Candy had a rough day ahead of her. She couldn't do it with these phone calls. She had to drop off a list at Allen's place and comfort them. She was actually there when Allen told his daughter, who's only seven years old that their mom was not

coming back. It was rough. That night, she went to bed and Pat noticed something strange. Hey, are you okay? Yeah, what's wrong, Pat? Nothing, Candy. You're just covered in bruises on your legs. Just how swerking I'm always bumpinging into things. Oh, you brew so easily. Even when they went to church, a lawyer by the name of Don Crowder, he's going to become important okay, was talking about the case. Anyone who want to talk to him, he said, well, I'm going to give you my legal perspective okay. The killer is a drifter. They're probably three states over. They're going town to town just killing people burglarizing homes. Probably in frickin' I don't know. California by now.

Well, how do you know this? Because I'm a personal injury divorce attorney. That's how? Okay, that's how. So church was, I mean, it was hectic. It was traumatic, right? Father's Day rolls around. Police want a question candy on Father's Day. So she goes to the station and she, I mean, they knew that she was one of the last people to saw her Traumatic, right? Father's Day rolls around. Police want a question candy on Father's Day. So she goes to the station and she, I mean, they knew that she was one of the last people to saw her, but nobody ever suspected candy.

Nobody. They wanted to ask her, did you see someone? Did you maybe see a car parked outside with someone in it like a man or maybe like a mean looking woman? Not a church-going housewife like yourself. That's why the police didn't even suspect her. Yeah, they're like, did you ever see like a crime-looking person? Why is that just because she's just a little churchgoer?

Little churchwife, you know, made to a cute little family, candy-monk-gumry, you know, it just sounds so pure, wholesome. She's a mom. Hm, okay. Right. How do you mean I guess? Do you see someone near the house? I feel like I feel like it was me. They'd be like, you frickin' did it girl.

I'm in here. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it's bizarre to me that maybe it's small town vibes, right? I don't know. I would think that if this happened in LA, they would question Candy immediately. Yeah, maybe.

Because it's always the wife or the husband or... Or like something weird's going on. So she tells them the whole story again on Friday. I went there picked up the swimsuit, then I went to Target, couldn't go inside because my watch stopped, blah, blah, blah, blah. Nothing strange in her story. Nothing strange in the way she was telling it. She didn't seem guilty. Nothing. Nothing at all.

She even wore these beautiful black tights in a nice short skirt. And they covered her bruises really well. But it looked very transparent. Nothing at all. She even wore these beautiful black tights in a nice short skirt. And they covered her bruises really well. But it looked very transparent because she's not wearing jeans, you know. Those tights. And then Candy was of no help to the police officers. So they offered, do you mind getting hypnotized? We really want to see if you remember anything. Oh, sure. Absolutely. I'll do anything to help. Let's just set up a date. Okay.

So she goes back home. And if anything, everyone felt really bad for Candy. All the church ladies said, I don't know if I can say this out loud, but I'm just so glad that you left. Because what if the killer came when you were in there, they would probably kill you too? Oh yeah, I didn't even think about that, huh? Candy went to the funeral, brought food over to Alan's house, met Betty's mom. I mean, the police were all over the town. They were multiple police jurisdictions working on it now, as well as the Texas Rangers they got involved. And Alan was confused. The police were triple-checking his alibi, asking about, did you ever have an affair?

I mean, he lied about it every single time, but he's like, why are they- I was literally out of town. Why would they think it's me so he starts talking to his daughter Alyssa? He just says hey, can you tell me if your mom did like said anything to you that day? She said no, I don't remember because I slept over at you know the Montgomery's house Well, what happened to later? So then she says well candy was gone from church for a really long time She said she went to the store, but there weren't any bags in the car. Kids pick up on everything. The little girl is...

Yeah. Oh my god. So the Nellen decides, okay, whatever this is happening, it's not good. He calls the police in this very impulsive decision and blerts over the phone. You're right, I did have an affair. With Candy Montgomery. Oh, we already knew that. Yeah, Candy told us. We would love for you to come in and tell us more.

So they hang up. Candy did not tell the police that they were completely lying. They said that so that Alan wouldn't tell Candy. So that Alan wouldn't call Candy and say, hey, I just told the police we're having an affair. So police are quick thinking too, holy cow. So they're like, oh, yeah,, sure he told us don't worry. We know. So he comes into the police station and Alan had an alibi. Did not seem to be lying and said that he would take a polygraph.

But candy didn't have an alibi. So they're just really confused. Is this both of them working on it together? Was candy instructed to kill Betty so that they can, you know, fall in love again. What's going on? So they brought her back in. They take her fingerprints because they had one bloody fingerprint left at the scene, which, if it matched, it's pretty clear what happened because it's not just a fingerprint, it's

in blood. So they upped the pressure on her. They said, you're nothing but a cold blooded killer. You keep lying to us, Candy Montgomery. You make me so sick. I can't even stay in the same room as you. They want her shoes. We want you to come in for a polygraph. They were so strong on her that she ran immediately to the only lawyer that she could think of, Don Crawley, the personal injury divorce attorney. And she said, they think I did it, they think I did it. Now Don did have a partner named Rob

that specialized in criminal law. Meanwhile, Don was the personal injury divorce attorney for their firm. So they decided that they were going to take on the case. And, Don was the personal injury divorce attorney for their firm. So they decided that they were gonna take on the case, and at first, the lawyer's office believed that this is just a bunch of small town cops that suck at their job. They're just trying to blame everything on candy

so that they can, you know, pet themselves on the back. Whoa, we solved this case. But then they find out about the affair. Oh wow, okay, that's a little wild. Don went to church with them, didn't suspect a thing. That's a little, okay. But there's just no way. that's a little while. Don went to church with them, didn't suspect a thing. That's a little okay. But there's just no way! There's just no way!

Now, Don was trying really hard to let his partner, the criminal law attorney, take the lead on this. But he was just...it's just itching. This personal injury attorney was just itching to get in on it. And people said that he was one of the most aggressive attorneys that they've ever met. He gets into a lot of, you know, bar fights, loves getting into fist fights with people perfect. What else do you want in a divorced attorney, right? He makes about like 400k a year. They call him an ambulance chaser. Well, there's a me.

That's what they call personal injury attorneys. These chase ambulance are you heart? Where were you heart? Did you slip inside of a target? You know, he just wanted to make a big name for himself and this is a big case and Don was confident Candy did not murder Betty for a number of reasons first of all Betty was much larger in size than candy Second of all Candy went back to church. There's no way an axe murderer could have gone back in the same clothes I mean, where's all the blood? That doesn't make sense. Number three, Candy would have lost her- If she did it, let's be real. She's a housewife. She's not a serial killer. Someone would have noticed.

So, Dawn, still though. So, at this point, the- the lawyer's truly believed she's innocent. Okay. But he has to do what a lawyer does. So, he gives her the whole shbiel. He sits her down alone and he says, There's three people you never lie to. Okay. Your pastor, your doctor, and your lawyer's three people you never lie to, okay? Your pastor, your doctor, and your lawyer.

So don't lie to me, Candy. Did you do it? No. Okay, well then who are you covering for? No one. Did Alan do it? Did you walk in on something? Did you walk in on something

and then you got scared so you ran away? No, Alan didn't do it. Well how do you know? Because I did it. What? So they decide that they're not going to tell Pat. He's just going to be like, oh my god, the police are framing my wife, okay? So they don't tell Pat because Pat is a very law-abiding citizen.

And he might as well have ran to the police himself. So they are just working on this case. The forensic teams get the bloody footprint and it's a clear match for candy, but they don't arrest her. Why? Because she has no criminal record. You look at her. She's a church-going, loving mom.

There's no way that based off one fingerprint, that the jury is going to find her guilty. Even with a hardened criminal with a criminal record, it's not a slam-dun case for the prosecution. So maybe if they turn up the heat, maybe if they keep leaking stuff to the press, they kept calling her Allen's female friend, because you know, you could be sued for libel and defamation if they said the woman having an affair with Allen, unless they confirmed it. So the police were like, you know, Allen's female friend, but that makes people feel exactly what they feel. They're like, we get the message, was a suspect in the murder, the cops that, you know, candy would freak out,

run straight into the police station, into their arms with the confession, because let's be real, housewives, they're scared. So she didn't run to them, and finally, after Dawn went to the press saying, yeah, yeah, we'll then arrest her. He like, asked the police to arrest her in the press. She finally gets arrested in this huge room. Who went to the don? Yeah, don went to the press, the lawyer.

Why? Because the press was talking about, oh, I think it's this woman, right? And then he's just saying, oh, yeah, well, they don't have if they had they would have arrested her. That's what I thought. And then they arrested her. What? Yeah thought and then they arrested her Yeah, this is what you got a pick your bath fire. They're really back fired Listen the only thing cops don't like is they don't like looking stupid so they're like oh, yeah, oh, yeah, that's a ruster So they arrested her and there was a huge show I mean candy showed up at the courthouse with her attorneys. There were reporters everywhere. Now, the thing with Candy, yes, loving housewife, church-going mom, but she had an edgy haircut

for the time period. Yeah, I was edgy. It was a little bit shorter, it was a little bit like, frizzy, she should kinda tease a little bit. She didn't have this maternal-looking motherliness. Like, if you looked at her, you wouldn't say, ah, mom. You'd be like, yeah, she's pretty, she's cool. She didn't like to smile or act a certain way

just because there were cameras, and her name didn't help either. I mean, Candy, a mistress named Candy. Wow. So this made the price and community go nuts. She's vindictive, she's back. Look at her, she's evil. Look at the way she looks. Of course, she's disgusting.

She's a seductress. She ruined this family, and then she had to kill a mom! And she was given a bail of $100,000. So the Montgomery's lost all of their money paying for that and their attorney almost lost their house, it was a lot. The kids were panicked. The kids found out because they were in the car and the radio was playing music, but in the middle of it, they stopped it to talk about how Candyman's Montgomery had been arrested. For murder, and the kids were like, Candyman Gummary is our mom. That's like, oh shit. So when she's arrested, she's stripped, searched, and that's when they noticed that she had all these light bruising all over her legs.

And nasty toe injury, they took a ton of pictures as evidence, and they just happened upon this. So she gets released on bail, where she has shipped off to sessions with one of the most fancy therapist in Texas that performed hypnotherapy on her. Meanwhile, Pat stood by her during all of this, even when it came out that she had another affair right after Alan, and even after he found out that she wasn't being framed, that she did in fact murder Betty. So he wrote her a letter saying, well, allegedly murdered.

Betty. So he wrote her a letter saying, I don't think words can express my love for you. It's just a shame that when our marriage is the best, it's ever been that something like this happens, but we will have to stand up to the test. Candy, remember that I love you and I will always be with you. I believe in you now more than I have all of our lives and you know that I love you more than I ever have. So their relationship was going strong. Meanwhile, everyone else was a little bit upset. Well, the neighbors of Alan Gore were.

Because he started having a woman named Elaine stay till around one in the morning. It's only been a few weeks since Betty's murder. Betty's parents noticed something on too. Alan had a lot of sympathy for Candy. He would mention to Betty's parents, you know, Candy's losing all of her money because of bail and all the attorneys.

What? And Betty's dad said, if she killed my Betty, I don't care if it costs her every cent that she has. Nallan would say, yeah, well, I guess I can see that. What is going on? So then the trial comes around and it was sensational. Candy had this new haircut that made her look much more motherly, of course. There were people lined outside to get in.

Mom's brought their infant babies to see if they could get a seat in the courtroom. If you got a seat, you would bring your lunch every day just in case, because if you leave for lunch, your seat's going to be taken when you come back. You got to eat in the courtroom. It's insane. So Dawn started it off and he kicked it off with emotions. This is a man that has never tried a criminal case. This is a personal injury attorney. He's crazy. He said on Friday June the 13th, Candice Montgomery killed Betty Gore. She did so with an axe. She did so in self-defense Everyone was shocked some people busted out into tears. What are you? What are you talking about?

We what Not only are you saying that she did kill her because we thought that you were gonna say oh she left and went to target What but why would she need to kill Betty and self-defense? You know, with 42, um, yeah. And guess what? Mrs. Montgomery will be taking the stand to tell you about it. And Don was good at his job. He was just enough blunt.

He was just enough emotional, passionate, aggressive. He was really good. The biggest worry that he had was that nine of the jurors were women which like we guys stopped doing this but um women are statistically harder on other women injuries so if you're a woman defendant you probably want more men on the jury. Fascinating. Unless it's like a relatable crime you know like maybe you killed someone because they tried to like or like a rape.

Yeah exactly then you'd want like a yeah yeah. Yeah. But this case he feels like or like a rape. Yeah, exactly. Then you'd want like a yeah, but this case, he feels like woman will judge her more. Oh, because it was to has to do with cheating. Yeah. And then like, you know, woman, a really harsh another woman is what he was saying. It just he was really nervous, but the only thing that he thought could work in candy's favor is that five of them were housewives. So maybe they could relate to this boredom of feeling trapped and maybe they could just see themselves a little bit in candy. That was his hope. So meanwhile, the opening statement of the prosecution

was entirely boring. Just was so dull. Just went over the evidence. Bear with us, I get it's tedious, but this is how we numbered the exhibits. Like, what? Where is the passion? So this in this case That passion from

Don right is it on work? Yeah, don't work. Okay, so it cuz it's more gravitating. Yeah, and it makes you like feel the story Yes, where's the prosecutor is like so look at an exhibit and you will see Like just like what is happening? Alan Gore was the first on the stand, and he was monotone the whole time. It was just bizarre, strange. People thought it was what? They even pulled out the bloody three foot ax

that killed his wife. This is, this is like killed his wife. He did not cry. He just looked at it and said, oh yeah, that does look like my ax. Yeah, that's my ax. What? Okay, that's my axe. What?

Okay, that's bizarre. So the prosecution brought in a bunch of witnesses, but it got strange because they were all saying amazing things about candy. And we were like, is this the defense's witnesses? Like, what's happening? So then candy gets up to testify. And that is where we leave off, right? Betty confronts her with the affair with Alan.

That's where we left off. She said, candy? Are you having an affair with Alan. That's where we left off. She said, candy? Are you having an affair with Alan? No, of course not. But Candy said it was too quick. You know, it was blatant why. It was just so obvious. Like, both of them knew. It was almost embarrassing how bad her lie is. But you did. Didn't you, Candy? Yes, but it was a long time ago. Did Alan tell you? And Betty told her to wait a minute, and she left. She went into the utility room.

Now when she came out, she had an axe in her hand. Betty was holding it away from her body towards the ground. Betty herself looks scared holding this axe. So Candy, Candy wasn't scared of the axe at all. Candy was almost like, oh man, what does she tell the girls at church? You know, she was more scared about what Betty would say versus what Betty would do. She didn't think that Betty would do anything with this axe. And Betty said, I don't ever want you to see him again. Like it almost seemed like she was trying to intimidate Candy. You

can't have him. So Candy said, Betty, it's been over for a long time. I'm not seeing him. I don't want him. Betty, don't be ridiculous. It's been over for such a long time. Well, don't see him again. Okay, I won't. You know what, Betty, maybe I should just bring a list of home after Bible school. No, I don't want to see you anymore. Just keep a listen, take her to the movie because I don't want to see you again. Bring her home tomorrow. And then Betty says, I'll get the towel from the bathroom. You grab her swimsuit from the washer. So they both go into the utility room. Candy is getting the elicit swimsuit.

And Betty says, don't forget her peppermints. Oh, oh, I have my own. No, just bring some too, just in case. And this time, Candy looks up and sees Betty's face, and it's not angry. She just looks like she wants to cry. So Candy feels so bad, she reached out, held Betty's arm and said, Oh Betty, I'm so sorry.

And Betty exploded. Maybe it was the pity and Candy's voice, the way she said it, the way she even said earlier, I don't want him anymore. Rather than apologizing, she pushed Candie with all her strength into the utility room and Candie fell onto the floor. Betty grabbed the axe, who is still pointed at the floor, but she kept saying, you can't have him, you can't have him, I'm gonna have a baby, and you can't have him this time. So this indicates that she knows that the affair happened when she was pregnant, which is I'm sure an even more emotional blow.

Wow. And Candy kept saying, this is stupid, Betty. I don't want Alan. Betty don't do this, please stop. And Betty said, I have to kill you. Candy lunges for the axe. They're both holding onto it. Betty gains control.

And she's screaming, Betty, stop, please. Betty, both holding onto it. Betty gains control and she's screaming, Betty, stop, please. Betty, what are you doing? Betty, please stop. And Candy looks down and she sees blood dripping from her forehead and she wipes it. She had been hit with like the blunt edge of the blade. So she hadn't been like, you know, you know, axed or anything. That wound would later turn out to me not that bad. She didn't even need medical attention, but it led to the high-intense situation seeing your own blood. Many people believe that they are way more injured than they actually are.

I've talked about this a lot, but blood is a very interesting thing, where if you just see two tablespoons of blood just smothered on the floor, you would think that multiple people have died. I feel like the beginning of all these Zoom meetings I had some really bad a little bit of anxiety, okay? Because I would break out, I don't know if it was the stress or just eating all the hot cheetos in my pantry, but I started having these massive breakouts and for whatever reason they camera on the computer enhances it.

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Then use our code rotten to sign up and you'll get $15 off your dermatology visit. That's aposctroph.com slash rotten. And use that code rotten to get your dermatology visit and say $15. And we think apostrophe for sponsoring this podcast. visit and say $15 and we think of Posterphy first sponsoring this podcast. So she sees this blood and she freaks out she looks up and Betty is swinging the axe at her. In this tiny utility room but somehow manages to miss Candy entirely. This is important later, right? And the axe lands on the ground, bounces, and hits Candy's toe, which now starts bleeding. So now there's more blood.

Candy's angry. She said it was like this primal instinct that came out, seeing this blood come out of her, seeing Betty through the axe in her direction. So they started struggling to gain control of this axe. Candy shoves Betty with all of her strength. Betty falls to the ground and Candy grabs the axe with both hands and brings it down onto Betty's head. And she said it sounded like a hollow pop, like a quirk coming out of a wine bottle.

Blood was gushing out of Betty, Candy tried to leave the room ASAP, but before she knew it, she was being slammed into the door. Betty was covered in blood trying to pick up the axe, so Candy, she panicked. Please just let me go, Betty. And Betty said, allegedly, I can't. So they did another slippery struggle in the blood for the axe. Candy tried to open the door for the garage, but Betty kicked it shut. They start fighting more.

Candy tried again to leave. Betty, don't, please, let me go. I don't want him. I don't want him. Betty was pissed. Placed one finger on her lips, and looked at candy and said, shh, you know like when you tell someone to be quiet.

And that triggered something in candy. And she grabbed that axe. This is her testimony, that I'm not saying this is 100% true, this is how she's testifying. Aimed for Betty's head. But Betty was dizzy from the blood loss, so she got up in the direction of the ax, made contact, and they said that that sound was

like a coconut being cut open. Candy had missed her head the third time, sliced her elbow. Candy kept going at the top of Betty's head. Capped continuing to swing. Betty's brains were seeping out onto the ground, but Candy kept going. Betty wouldn't die, so Candy kept swinging and screaming, filled with rage. She was just filled with rage.

She destroyed Betty's face, and she only stopped when she physically couldn't do anything else. Droped her knees, realized she was covered in blood, said that the smell was so nauseating. It's like blood mixed with this fabric softener because it's laundry room, all in one, wanted to throw a wipe. So she runs for the bathroom, she's like in a trance, she claims, and she turns on the bathtub or the shower,

gets in with all her clothes on, realizes my clothes are getting wet, gets out, looks in the mirror and keeps telling herself, it's gonna be okay. You have to be normal. That's the only way. So she went out, got her stuff, got her purse, and walked her car. As the way that the book describes it, the way that Candy handled herself was almost as if someone who had too much to drink, so they go out of their way to pretend like they're normal, walking so straight, you know, trying to be so precise. Her toe was in so much pain, she checked her watch.

Oh, perfect. I still have time to go to target. But then she realized that her watch had stopped when she had gotten in the shower. So she drives around without a destination, just trying to get her nerves in check. Finally, she decides she has to go back. That's the only way that everything is normal again. Goes to her house, changes, goes back to church. And Candy tells the jury that she was so angry that this happened, because it was so pointless. I didn't want him, I didn't want Alan. I kept trying

to tell her that. I didn't plan it. She put me in this position and it caused me to lose everything that is important to me and it hurts. So her lawyer asked her, you didn't go there to kill her with the axe. No, but you did kill her with the axe. Yes, you killed her with this axe right here. And he's holding up the bloody axe and she's, this is the first time she just goes into full sobbing. No, no, please don't make me look at it. And they said that the jury kind of felt for her at that moment. Cross examinations were done by the prosecutors.

So now the prosecutors are trying to poke holes into her story, like going out self-defense my ass, right? You're just trying to get rid of the wife, but she did really well. Like she knew all the small details of where the pepperments were, like things that a random liar that just came up with this story probably wouldn't have known. But the whole thing that the prosecutor was trying to be upset about was that you still

lied. You still lied to all the woman in the church. You still tried to cover it up on multiple occasions. You never once came to the police. And that was that. Then Pat testified about how much he still loved her. Then came a strange testimony from the doctor, the hypnotherapist, who had hypnotized her, and had her rage, her age regress, which means like took her back to when she was young

and had a traumatic incident. So he claimed that the shh was so triggering because Candy had a traumatic event when she was four years old. She had hurt herself and needed stitches. Her mom takes her to the hospital and she keeps crying because she's, she's four, she's in pain. And her mom keeps telling her shh what will they think of you and that is something that you know candy has struggled with her whole life is that her mom trained her to care more about what other people think about her than which

she feels about herself so this doctor is trying to tie it all together i mean some people were like this is some bulls free okay because there are some people who have some of the worst traumatic childhoods, but you're telling me that her mom says, and now she allegedly murdered, did kill someone, you know? That didn't make sense, but that was the testimony. Don also brought in a bunch of witnesses who claimed that Betty was not the nicest person in the world. Like this is really messed up, okay? No, but I mean, we gotta get rid of this idea that- Yeah, we have to get rid of this idea

that every victim is a perfect angel who lights up the room when they walk in because that's be real, no human is that. Yeah, I mean, so I guess that will even persuade- Exactly. The jury. Yeah, which like, the problem is because I think we have this vision of a victim. Just this perfect.

They didn't deserve it. Nobody deserves it, right? But that doesn't mean victims have to be perfect. And I think once we get rid of that, then it becomes a lot more transparent. And maybe you can even solve crime faster knowing everything. But anyways, so he's like throwing dirt on the victim. And then like at one point, Don, yeah, we were like, oh this guy's kind of cool, right? But he's really mean. He had this one witness stand up for the jury and said, well you and Betty are the same size, right? I just kept looking at Candy. There's so much larger than Candy, just like

really rude. But the jury was able to visualize like the size comparison, which was helpful in the defense case. So closing statements, Dawn is super emotional. Candy fucked up over and over and over again. She had an affair. She did this, she did that, she did this, but she's not a murderer. Do not rob a husband of a wife. Do not rob two kids of a mother. Like it was just a really impactful statement. I'm not saying he's right, but I'm saying he did his job well And then the prosecutor they were very bland They didn't even call Betty by her name. They said the other party is not here to share their side of the story

Very like dehumanizing like it's Betty. This is Betty's life So you you're saying but you want to find a lawyer that's like personally Oh like passionate yeah passionate about a crime. Yeah, yeah, and the jury found her Not guilty unmerder charges and Not guilty on even Man slaughter charges They had the option to give her manslaughter

But they found her not guilty. So what did she get? She was acquitted. Self defense. Shut. Yeah, that's why she is not a murder. She did kill someone, but she's not a murder. There were a lot of people that were unhappy about this.

So when she was released from court, I mean, everyone in town thought she was murdered. Even when she got home, everyone was screaming, Kellear murder! She started getting death threats in the mail. They sent pictures of her, just cut to shreds. They sent pictures of Betty's bloody body laying there that they had drawn. Like they drew it. What it was, someone just wrote all over the paper in different sizes and sent it to her. Halloween

came around, there were drawings of candy holding an axe, and it said candy is bad for your health because it's Halloween. Oh my god. There was a poem circulating saying Candy Montgomery was a whore who screwed around with Alan Gore. When Betty Gore brought it up, Candy used an axe to cut her up. In Colin County, murder is okay if you go to church and pray and don't worry, adultery is cool if you teach Sunday school. So Pat and Candy decided to pick up and move to Georgia to be with her parents. So now this is what the authors of the book. This is what they think happened. Now full credit to them because I didn't even think about this, right?

I was like, oh, well, there's a self-defense or the murder. This is how they think it played down and they go really in depth on this theory, right? They believe that Betty didn't do that. In the sense of they don't think that Betty would ever want to kill Candy. She just was not a homicidal person at all. There was nothing that indicated it at all. But it seemed that Betty wanted to scare Candy.

Even Candy herself said, you know, when Betty was holding the axe, the blade was always facing the bottom. She was holding it away from her. Almost like the first time she wasn't even scared of Betty. So this is how they think it happened. Betty was miserable. She thought that she was going to be pregnant again. And somewhere along the line, she put two and two together

that Alan kept talking about Candy. And all these weird things when she had her first or her second kid. Maybe Alan fessed up and he lied to the police, you know, for whatever reason she put two and two together, she thought Alan had an affair with Candy when she was pregnant with her second child. Now she thinks she's pregnant with her third. She's got all of this worry, this stress, Alan's out of town, right? And she just feels like she's losing it, wanted to scare candy with this axe. Just wanted to tell her, back off, like this is my family and I'm gonna protect my family, like back off. Because they're thinking like if she wanted to kill her, there's

easier and cleaner weapons in the house. A three-foot-long axe is not easy to kill with. Even though it sounds like, oh, it's so big, it must be so powerful, but it takes so much skill and like so much, like the amount of time it takes you to put it down to what you're trying to hit, they could easily move away. It's so heavy, but it's very scary-looking versus a butter knife. So she brought it out. Candy's not scared, but he's getting embarrassed. So she just kind of is like, leave him alone. And Candy's like, OK, I'll leave him alone. So she's like, OK, well, I just want this to be over. Put the axe down, axe normal.

Well, I'll just grab her towel. You grab her bathing suit. Right before Candy left, Candy grabbed Betty's arm and said, oh, Betty, I'm so sorry. Which I think that's like something that a lot of people deal with probably in Getting cheated on is like the pity of the other person like I don't want your pity Like no, I'm sure it feels so gross And the way that candy said it just so much pity just no remorse. I Just don't want him. That's what she kept saying. I don't want him

It's not I messed up. I can't believe I did that. I don't want him So what if you do want him tomorrow like what does that mean? So Betty shoves candy away now again Their theory is that she's not trying to kill her She's just upset just doesn't want her touching her because if she wanted to kill candy She could have punched her. She could have kicked her, but she just pushed her. And she said, I have to kill you. Now, this is the part where it's really debated, but the authors talk to a lot of psychiatrists, you know, and people who have been involved in a lot of crimes. Killers don't usually tell their victim what they're going to do, unless

it's like a weird serial killer that's like really gets off on like, I'm going to do exactly ABC and D to you. Yeah. It's usually intimidation tactic. It's like a threat like I'm gonna kill you. So she said that but to Candy this was all becoming very real. She felt really threatened at this moment. So even when Betty threw the axe in the small room. I mean, there's only like one place to aim. Candie's on the ground. She had missed Candy entirely, right? And it bounced and hit Candy's toe. It's likely that she wasn't trying to hit Candy. It's likely that she was just trying

to make a big show of scaring Candy. Like, no, I'm serious. But it hit Candy's toe. Candy had that wound on her forehead. She saw all this blood and Something in her felt like this woman is gonna kill me Mm-hmm, and she went all out I guess the speculation of this if this version of it would be true is that Candy did act in her own

Self-defense in her own story if that makes sense now the overkill that was another thing that the jury had to get over I have no opinion on that I think that is in the book there's just a lot more detail it does make you a little bit more sympathetic if you read the book towards candy story I just I don't know what to say yeah I mean that's why there is a jury and that's what they get to decide after all the details and information. Yeah But I'm in the eyes of the law. Yeah, she is innocent. She was acting in self-defense. Is she still around? Yeah, I believe that she is a mental health therapist. I want to say either counselor therapist

She's a therapist in the mental health field which again I mean, I I saw some people talking about it on Reddit and they think that, okay, this is just a strange bizarre case and yes, the ultimate victim at the end of the day is still Betty and truly, I don't think a lot of people think that Betty was trying to murder candy. But it's kind of like, you almost, you don't really feel that passionate of, no, she deserves to be in prison because there's so many other cases that we cover where you're like how did they like even the you know James Bulger case you're like how are they out yeah yeah yeah see you have all this passion but for this one it's

kind of like I mean she didn't reoffend ever I guess she's trying to do some good in the world where do you really stand it's just so. This does sound like a movie though. It does, and I really wonder how it's going to play out in both of the series. I really wonder if it's going to make us feel more sympathetic to Candy Montgomery or less, or it's going to be bizarre. I think a good movie will make you feel complicated.

It's like you love them and you hate them. Yeah. And I think that's how I feel about the real candy Montgomery. Like just like a... I'm not... Okay, I do want to mention though. I'm a less love. Way less love. Wow, that was complicated. I do want to mention that these people made a lot of mistakes along the way. Like nothing about this was normal.

So that's like candy, that's pat, that's Allen. That was the story of Candy Montgomery, that we will soon be seeing Elizabeth Moss and Elizabeth Olson Starran, and I'm really excited, but I hope you guys enjoyed. Make sure to check out evidence of love because truly, the books are almost always better than the movies, and I'm pretty sure

that this book, I don't know how they're gonna top it. And I hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see you guys tomorrow. Oyee! I'll see you guys for the mini-sode on Sunday. Bye!