7. Pastor Ron Adams
Pastor Ron Adams was the Methodist church pastor where both Candy and Betty attended. He supported Candy during the trial.
Pastor Ron Adams was the young Methodist minister caught right in the middle of the mess. Both Candy and Betty were highly active members of his congregation—they both taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. When Candy was arrested, Adams found himself in an impossible position, but he ultimately made the controversial choice to stand by her and offer spiritual support.
Things got even more heated during the trial when Adams actually took the stand. He testified about Betty’s personality, describing her as someone who could be demanding and difficult to reach. The defense completely capitalized on this testimony to paint Candy’s actions as a fear-based reaction rather than cold-blooded murder.
Naturally, Adams’s loyalty to Candy split his church right down the middle. Half the congregation praised his compassion and focus on Christian forgiveness, while the other half felt he had totally betrayed Betty’s memory.
In HBO’s Love & Death, actor Keir Gilchrist plays Adams as an earnest, conflicted guy just trying to keep the peace. It’s a pretty accurate snapshot of his real-life ordeal: a pastor caught between two families and a deeply divided town, trying to navigate a crisis no seminary could have ever prepared him for.
