The Quiet Life: 5 Shocking Facts About Where Candy Montgomery Is Today (2025 Update)

The name Candy Montgomery remains one of the most polarizing in American true crime history, synonymous with the shocking 1980 axe murder of her friend, Betty Gore, and the even more shocking acquittal that followed. As of December 13, 2025, the woman who admitted to striking her neighbor 41 times with an axe is no longer the Texas housewife portrayed in recent hit true-crime series; she has spent decades rebuilding a quiet, anonymous life far from the Wylie, Texas, suburb where the tragedy occurred. Her current existence is a stark contrast to her infamous past, raising profound questions about justice, trauma, and the possibility of a second chance.

The intense public fascination, fueled by the Hulu series Candy and the HBO Max drama Love & Death, has brought renewed scrutiny to the woman behind the sensational headlines. While she has successfully retreated from the public eye, reports confirm a dramatic shift in her profession and location, suggesting a deliberate effort to leave the identity of the "Axe Killer" behind and embrace a new, professional persona.

Candace Lynn Montgomery: A Biographical Snapshot

To understand her life today, it is essential to first grasp the key details of the woman at the center of the 1980 media storm. Candace Lynn Montgomery, known as Candy, was a seemingly perfect, churchgoing housewife in the tight-knit community of Wylie, Texas, before her life became a national spectacle. Her biography is a timeline of suburban normalcy shattered by violence, a sensational trial, and a subsequent retreat into anonymity.

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• Full Name: Candace Lynn Wheeler (Maiden Name)
• Married Name: Candace Lynn Montgomery
• Date of Birth: November 15, 1949
• Age (as of Dec 2025): 76
• Husband: Pat Montgomery (divorced circa 1986)
• Children: A son and a daughter (names have been kept private)
• The Crime: The murder of Betty Gore on June 13, 1980, in Wylie, Texas, involving 41 axe blows.
• Trial Outcome: Found Not Guilty of murder on October 30, 1980, on the grounds of self-defense.
• Current Location: Believed to be living in Georgia.
• Current Profession: Mental health counselor/therapist.

Fact 1: The Infamous Killer Now Works as a Counselor in Georgia

The most startling fact about Candy Montgomery's life today is her career pivot. After the trial and the subsequent move from Texas, Candy and her then-husband, Pat Montgomery, relocated to Georgia. While the couple eventually divorced around 1986, Candy chose to remain in the state. She reportedly went back to school and became a certified family counselor and mental health therapist.

This professional shift is deeply ironic, given the psychological turmoil at the heart of her own case. During her trial, her defense attorney, Don Crowder, introduced psychiatric testimony to argue that the killing was a result of a "dissociative episode"—a flashback to childhood trauma triggered by Betty Gore shushing her during their confrontation.

Today, she is believed to practice under her maiden name, Candace Wheeler, a deliberate move to distance her professional identity from the notorious Montgomery name. Her work involves helping others navigate their own emotional and psychological struggles, an extraordinary turn for a woman who was acquitted of one of the most brutal crimes in Texas history.

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Fact 2: She Lives Under Her Maiden Name, Candace Wheeler

An essential element of Candy Montgomery's successful disappearance from the public eye is the use of her maiden name, Candace Wheeler. Following the intense scrutiny of the trial, which saw her and her husband, Pat, ostracized from their community and facing death threats, the move to Georgia was a desperate attempt to seek a fresh start. By adopting her pre-marriage name, she effectively created a firewall between the infamous true-crime figure and the professional counselor.

This name change is a key reason why tracking her current location and daily life is so difficult. She has made no public statements, granted no interviews, and has actively avoided media contact since her acquittal on October 30, 1980. The desire for anonymity is understandable, as the details of the Betty Gore murder—including the shocking 41 axe blows—continue to horrify and fascinate the public decades later.

Fact 3: Her Husband, Pat Montgomery, Divorced Her and Also Disappeared

Pat Montgomery, Candy’s husband and a Texas Instruments engineer, stood by her throughout the trial, enduring the revelation of her affair with Allan Gore (Betty Gore's husband). However, the pressure of the sensational case proved too much for their marriage to withstand in the long term. After moving to Georgia together with their two children, the couple eventually divorced around 1986.

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Like Candy, Pat Montgomery has also vanished from the public record. His current whereabouts are unknown, and he has made no public statements regarding the case or the recent television adaptations. The Montgomery children, a son and a daughter, were also shielded from the media, and their names and current lives have remained private, allowing them to grow up away from the shadow of the Wylie axe murder.

Fact 4: The 41 Axe Blows and the Self-Defense Claim That Shocked the Nation

The core of the enduring curiosity surrounding Candy Montgomery lies in the trial's outcome. The prosecution presented overwhelming evidence: Candy admitted to the killing, and Betty Gore’s body showed she had been struck 41 times with an axe. The brutality of the attack seemed to contradict any notion of self-defense.

However, defense attorney Don Crowder mounted a successful and controversial case. He argued that Candy was acting in self-defense after Betty confronted her about the affair and attacked her with the axe first. Crucially, a psychiatrist, Dr. Fred Fason, testified that the sight of the axe triggered a "dissociative reaction" in Candy, causing her to regress to a childhood trauma and enter a state of emotional detachment, resulting in the frenzied attack.

The jury ultimately believed the self-defense plea, finding her not guilty. The verdict sparked outrage across Texas and the nation, with many believing a technical legal loophole allowed a confessed killer to walk free. This legal drama is a key reason why the case continues to be revisited in media like Love & Death and Candy.

Fact 5: Her Story Continues to Be Re-Told in Major True Crime Adaptations

Despite her best efforts to live anonymously as Candace Wheeler, Candy Montgomery's story is experiencing a major resurgence in popular culture. The renewed interest in the case, decades after the trial, is driven by two high-profile television series:

• Candy (Hulu): A 2022 miniseries starring Jessica Biel as Candy Montgomery.
• Love & Death (HBO Max): A 2023 miniseries starring Elizabeth Olsen as Candy Montgomery.

These adaptations have brought the complex characters of Candy Montgomery, Betty Gore, and Allan Gore back into the mainstream conversation, introducing a new generation to the bizarre events of 1980 Wylie, Texas. The shows meticulously detail the affair, the suburban setting, the defense strategy, and the controversial acquittal, ensuring that the legacy of the "Axe Killer" endures, even as the real woman attempts to live out her days in quiet obscurity in Georgia. The continued media attention ensures that, despite her new identity, Candace Wheeler will likely never fully escape the shadow of Candy Montgomery.