A Terrible Thing That Happened in Texas on Friday the 13th

On Friday the 13th, 1980, one of the most horrific murders in Texas occurred in the tiny town of Wylie, just outside of Dallas. Candy Montgomery killed her best friend Betty Gore with an axe. Both women were married with children, and members of the same church where they met in 1977.

It all came about while Candy Montgomery was having an affair with Betty Gore's husband Allan Gore. Allan called off the affair when his wife Betty became pregnant. That's when Candy killed her friend.

The autopsy report proved that Candy struck Betty's body 41 times with an axe. According to the report, 40 of those blows happened while Betty was still alive and her heart was still beating. But Candy insisted she didn't mean to kill her best friend.

The murder was so shocking it became the subject of two true crime movies - one on HBO Max called ‘Love and Death’, the other on Hulu called ‘Candy’. Montgomery was charged with murder but found not guilty of the crime, all because the psychiatrist said Candy was struggling with a childhood trauma and "didn't know what she was doing."

Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day throughout the U.S. The reason for this superstition is not really apparent. One thought is believed to be influenced by the Last Supper, where Jesus Christ and his 12 disciples were present. The 13th and most infamous guest, Judas Iscariot, was the disciple who betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion on what is now known as Good Friday.

Some Christian traditions associate Friday with bad luck because it is believed to be the day on which Jesus was crucified. Combining superstitions about the number 13, Friday the 13th became a doubly unlucky day.

Here are 5 common superstitions associated with Friday the 13th:

1. Black cats: It is believed that if a black cat crosses your path, you will have bad luck.
2. Breaking a mirror: If you break a mirror, it is said you will have seven years of bad luck.
3. Walking under a ladder: It is believed that walking under a ladder will bring bad luck.
4. Opening an umbrella indoors: It is believed that opening an umbrella indoors will bring bad luck.
5. The number 13 is considered unlucky in Western culture. Some buildings do not have a 13th floor, and some people avoid the number 13 altogether.

My thoughts are that these superstitions are not based on any real evidence. So, though Friday the 13th is happening this month, I wouldn't worry about it.

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