Betty Gore’s brutal death is a cautionary tale of who are really your friends. This murky case would look like an open-&-shut case on the surface; several possibilities still hung around it. Was this a case of “Escape-by-self-defense?” or was it the answer to “How-To-Get-Away-With-Murder?”
Considerable evidence, witnesses, and the brutality of 41 wounds should be enough for conviction. But even today, the case remains ambiguous, and we are left with the thought— “Is it that easy to make people believe in whatever you say?”
Well, only Don Crowder has the answer to that. His demeanor, persuasion, and strategy helped Candace’s defense. So who is this attorney who turned the tides and hit back like a tsunami?
Who Is Don Crowder?
Don Crowder had practiced law for civil cases and opened his own firm, Crowder & Mattox, with his partner Jim Mattox. But his ambitions to be the big shot lawyer drove him to take challenging cases. And just like that, an opportunity knocked on his door when he met Candace Montgomery through their church. She wanted him to take up her case, given that the police had already issued warrants for her investigation.
This was Crowder’s first criminal case, and he was ready to bring his A-game. And just within the 8-day trial, he made a case that no one could have seen coming!
Even with 41 stab wounds with a 3-foot axe, he made people believe that Candy actually fought back to save her life.
The next point he made was that Candy had a dissociative episode, where her past trauma compelled her to act aggressively toward the attacker. And in the process, she couldn’t count the number of times she stabbed her friend, ensuring that Betty won’t hurt her.
He even manipulated the media with incessant misinformation, making a positive PR for Candy. And he played the card of “Stand Your Ground” Texan law, which allows aggressive force to prevent violent crime.
Overall, the man managed to sway the jury of three men and nine women to acquit Candace.
After the successful case, Crowder went on with several other cases. In 1986, he ran for governor of Texas, amassing 118530 votes. But in the end, he lost.
By 1991, his business venture Gameday Sports Cafe failed to establish itself in the market, incurring huge losses.
Where Is Don Crowder Now? Why Did Don Crowder Kill Himself?
Trigger Warning: Mention of suicide and drugs.
Don Crowder faced a few struggles with his ambitions, negatively impacting his mental health. But the final straw was the death of his brother, Barry, in a tragic car accident on 15th August 1997. His mental health started deteriorating after this, leading him to substance abuse with alcohol and cocaine.
Just before his 56th birthday, Crowder attempted to take his own life on 25th October 1998. After surviving, he told the McKinney Courier-Gazette that his first case “was maybe the zenith of an extraordinarily successful career, or the demise of what could have been.”
Don Crowder also admitted that the faces of Gore’s family still haunt him. Deep down, the case left a heavy impression on his mental state. On 10th November 1998, Crowder took his own life after years of struggle with mental illnesses and substance abuse. Right now, he is dead.
Who Was the Judge In The Candy Case?
District Judge Tom Ryan was appointed for Candy’s case. But Crowder had a rather unusual dynamic with the judge, so much so that he was arrested for four days for contempt of court.
Due to his antics, he gained a street name as “Crazy Crowder.”
Where Is Candace Montgomery Now?
Candace Montgomery walked a free woman after the 8-day trial. She divorced her husband a few years later and changed her name to Candace Wheeler.
She now lives in Georgia as a mental health counselor.
There are several depictions of this true crime story:
- “Evidence of Love” book by Jim Atkinson
- Hulu’s Candy with Jessica Biel as the titular role and Rafael Barba As Crowder.
- HBO Max’s “Love and Death” starring Elizabeth Olsen as Candy and Tom Pelphrey as Crowder. You can now stream this miniseries released on 27th April.
Twitter is overflowing with reactions to Don Crowder, who totally stole the show.
Do you think that Candy is innocent? What do you think about Don Crowder?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
11 Comments
I’m still trying to process the tragic story of Don Crowder’s life. The way he struggled with his inner demons and the ripple effect his suicide had on his loved ones is heartbreaking. His story is a powerful reminder of the importance of mental health awareness and the need for support systems.
I’m still trying to process the tragic story of Don Crowder’s life and his ultimate decision to take his own life. Your post really shed a new light on the circumstances surrounding his death and the emotional toll it took on his loved ones.
The only thing that left me puzzled was the fact that one of Candice’s sunglass lenses was found in the garage. The film consistently shows Betty coming in with the axe but what if it actually was the other way round? We’ll never know, but if it was as Candice said, then even if found guilty it should have been manslaughter, not murder. Betty struck the first blow.
Amazing and sad at the same time, only one person truly knows what happened that day, im sure it replays in her head over and over every day
This case has left me undecided. One minute I feel Candy was guilty of murder, the next she was acting in self defense. I must say, if I had been in that situation, I would have done my best to basically get out of there at the first opportunity.
If it was self defense and she was in a dissociative state I still don’t understand how someone doesn’t come to their senses after the first few “whacks”. 41 times would take a lot of anger and energy.
The thing that sways me more towards murder is she showed lack of remorse, in my opinion.
Also if it was self defense why didn’t she go straight to the police, instead of going about her days, as if totally obvious to what she had done.
I guess we will never really know the truth. Only Betty, God rest her soul 🙏 and Candy know what really happened. I feel so very sorry for the children and family of Betty. They too are the victims of this tragic crime.
If Candy, who supposedly is a dedicated churchgoer is guilty, I hope her conscience will one day decide to confess the truth. She will face her judgement when she leaves this earth either way.
I had her not guilty throughout. She was charged with murder. She didn’t commit murder. When someone attacks you with an axe it doesent follow that the person being attacked would murder the person who initiated the violence with an axe mind you. She defended herself. If someone attacks me with an axe all bets are off I will do my best to defend myself and there is no recipe on how the instigator ends up. Many humans would freak out in the same situation. The attorneys felt like they needed to add a secondary defense but I felt not guilty all the way. It’s fascinating to see the difference between folk’s opinions. I guess it would be a mistrial if we were the jury.
In my humble opinion, this was such a miscarriage of our justice system!!! The evidence in this case proves that Candy murdered Betty. Just an opinion.
Absolutely mind boggling she’s a murderer end of story wish I was on that jury no champagne no stupid bologna sandwiches what a combo only in Texas I guess she should have been on death row over!!
It horrifies me knowing Candy got away with murder. What in the world was wrong with those jurors? She saw the ax why would you stay? A very small toe cut and a small cut on the head? And Betty 41 whacks with the ax something is not right. If there were a struggle it would seem Candy would have had more wounds. Looks one sided. Agree with statement above why didn’t they call their psychiatrist to examine Candy? Shocking!!
I have never understood how a real life jury would so quickly and easily believe the repressed anger excuse for Candy Montgomery’s slaughter of Betty Gore. I can easily believe in the fight over the axe but Candy being triggered into an obscene bloody killing rage by a repressed memory when she was FOUR being accepted as part of her self defense plea was absurd. Then why were there no other mental health evaluations called for by the prosecution? Why did the jury believe Candy Montgomery wouldn’t be triggered again into a violent rage after they voted “Not Guilty”? Candy Montgomery never expressed any remorse over killing Betty Gore or leaving her two children motherless.
Love and Death was the best ever lawyer show. I had her innocent/self defense from the get go. Loved Crowder and thought after handling a criminal case so well, that he would give up civil cases. Criminal cases so much more interesting.