Where Are Allan and Betty Gore’s Kids Today? Inside Bethany and Alisa’s Lives

Allan and Betty Gore‘s children were thrust into the national spotlight when their neighbor, Candy Montgomery, killed their mom.

The former couple, who married in 1970, welcomed two children together before Betty’s death in 1980, according to Texas Monthly. Allan and Betty became parents when they welcomed daughter Alisa and later expanded their family with the birth of daughter Bethany.

The girls were both under the age of 5 when Betty was attacked by Candy. On June 13, 1980, Betty’s body was found after Candy slashed her with an ax 41 times. Prior to the tragic event, Candy and Allan had been having an affair for several months from 1978 into 1979, until he allegedly called it off to focus on his family.

Candy was later arrested in connection with the death, but claimed that she acted in self-defense. She was acquitted of the murder in October 1980.

As a result of the murder trial and their dad’s involvement, Alisa and Bethany were raised by Betty’s parents in Kansas. Both Alisa, who now goes by Lisa, and Bethany appear to have reconnected with their father since the ordeal and have successful personal and professional lives.

The months-long affair and Betty’s subsequent death were depicted in the drama series Love & Death. The show, which hit Netflix on Dec. 1, starred Lily Rabe as Betty and Jesse Plemons as Allan. Their story was also featured in the movie Candy, starring Melanie Lynskey as Betty.

Here’s everything to know about where Allan and Betty Gore’s children, Alisa and Bethany, are now, 45 years after their mom was killed.

Allan and Betty welcomed two daughters together

Allan and Betty married in 1970 after meeting in college, per Texas Monthly. They went on to move to the small town of Wylie, Texas, where she began working as a teacher, and he started a career in electronics.

After tying the knot, Betty and Allan became parents with the birth of Alisa. She was 5 years old at the time of Betty’s death, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Meanwhile, Betty and Allan were reportedly struggling in their marriage, per Texas Monthly, before getting pregnant with their second daughter in 1978. They welcomed Bethany in July 1979.

In the midst of Betty’s pregnancy, Allan and Candy were romantically involved from December 1978 until after Bethany’s birth. Allan later testified that their affair ended in October 1979 when he realized that he “could not share myself” with both Candy and his family, per United Press International.

Alisa and Bethany were young children when their mother was killed

In June 1980, Allan was out of town on business while Betty was home with Bethany, who was almost a year old. Their elder daughter, Alisa, was being watched by Candy.

On June 13, Allan called Candy to ask about Betty’s whereabouts after she hadn’t answered her phone. Candy allegedly told him that everything was fine, but he still called another neighbor to check on Betty.

The neighbors then discovered “oceans” of blood in their home and Bethany crying and alone in her crib, per Texas Monthly. They took Bethany away from the crime scene and ran back to their house to call the police.

Police later determined that Betty had been slashed 41 times by an ax and suspected Candy after learning about her past affair with Allan. Although Candy initially alleged that she had been elsewhere at the time of the stabbing, she later admitted to getting into a heated confrontation with Betty over the infidelity.

Candy claimed that she acted out of self-defense after Betty confronted her and grabbed an ax. Candy was arrested and charged with Betty’s murder, but was acquitted after her 1980 trial.

For years, Bethany and Alisa — who now goes by Lisa — remained quiet about the entire ordeal but shared their memories of their mother and frustration during the case in 2000.

“I just wish I knew what really happened,” Bethany told the Dallas Morning News when she was 20 years old. “Because nobody knows but her … What angers me is thinking about what could have been.”

When asked about their thoughts on Candy since the non-guilty verdict, Lisa told the outlet, “I don’t know if I could forgive her. I know you’re supposed to, but.” She added, “My family has a lot of anger and a lot of hatred toward her. You can spend your whole life hating someone.”

The girls were raised by their grandparents in Kansas

After the 1980 trial, Betty’s parents, Bob and Bertha Pomeroy, received custody of Alisa and Bethany. The couple later adopted them and raised them “as their own,” per Bertha’s obituary.

“They were pretty good girls to raise,” Bob told the Dallas Morning News in 2000.

The Pomeroys moved the girls to Norwich, Kan., while Allan remarried and moved to California with his second wife, per the outlet. The second marriage reportedly caused a rift between the two families, and neither of the girls talked to their father for years.

“They felt like their marriage had a better shot at working out if Bethany and I weren’t around,” Lisa claimed to the publication.

Despite a challenging start to their lives, both Bethany and Alisa excelled in school and eventually became salutatorians of their high school classes. They also each received scholarships to their respective colleges.

“I think my mother would be proud of me and my sister,” Bethany said, while Lisa added, “We’ve both tried to do the best with what’s been handed us.”

Bob and Bertha served as their caregivers until their respective deaths. Bob died in 2003, and Bertha died in 2010, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Lisa works as a chief accounting officer, while Bethany is an assistant principal

In the years since their lives took a tragic turn, Lisa and Bethany have grown up and now have children and careers of their own. Lisa studied accounting at Kansas State University and now serves as a chief accounting officer, per her LinkedIn.

Although she remained estranged from her father for years, they reconnected at least a decade ago. Allan frequently leaves sweet messages about Lisa and her children on her Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Bethany followed in her late mother’s footsteps and became a teacher. She attended Wichita State University where she pursued elementary education. For nearly a decade, she taught at Wichita Public Schools. Since 2015, she has worked as an assistant principal in Las Vegas, per her LinkedIn.

Bethany honored her late mom with one of her three children

Both Lisa and Bethany are parents and frequently share updates of their children on social media.

Lisa married a man named John in 1996, per the Dallas Morning News. Lisa and John are parents to two children, sons Sam and Jake.

Meanwhile, Bethany has been married to a man named Chase since 2011. They became parents in January 2013 when they welcomed daughter Josie Suzanne.

In 2016, they welcomed their second daughter and paid tribute to Bethany’s mom by naming her Betty. They had a third son, named Henry, in December 2019.