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FROM THE VAULT: A H2H REWIND. Murder, Money & Forbidden Love: Candy Mossler and Mel Powers

The Case of Candy Mossler and Mel Powers: Murder, Money, and a Forbidden Affair

On the morning of June 30, 1964, the wealthy and influential Houston financier Jacques Mossler was found brutally murdered in his Miami apartment. He’d been bludgeoned and stabbed 39 times, his body left on the plush carpet of his luxurious Key Biscayne condo. But the story that would soon unfold in the courtroom was far more salacious than any crime thriller—because the prime suspects were his glamorous wife, Candy Mossler, and her young lover… who also happened to be her nephew by marriage, Mel Powers.


The Perfect Wife?

Candy Mossler was known for her beauty and charm, a Texas socialite with a knack for philanthropy and a taste for the finer things in life. To outsiders, she was the loving wife of Jacques Mossler, a man over 25 years her senior. But beneath the polished surface, cracks were widening. Friends described their marriage as strained in the years leading up to Jacques’ death. Candy accused him of affairs, emotional abuse, and even molesting their adopted daughter—accusations never proven but wielded effectively when the time came to paint Jacques as a monster rather than a victim.


Enter Mel Powers

Mel Powers was Candy’s nephew by marriage—tall, handsome, and just 19 years old when he became entwined with his aunt. Their affair was anything but secret. Hotel staff reported seeing them in intimate situations. They traveled together openly. Candy lavished gifts and money on him, even cosigning a $100,000 bank note to fund Mel’s burgeoning (and often failing) business ventures.


When Jacques was murdered, it didn’t take long for detectives to connect the dots. Just days before the murder, Mel had checked into a Miami hotel under an alias. Witnesses saw him near Jacques’ apartment building. Police discovered bloodstained clothing and fingerprints. The motive? A $33 million fortune and a love that defied both law and societal norms.


The Trial of the Century

In 1966, the world watched as Candy and Mel stood trial together in Miami. Prosecutors argued that Mel entered Jacques’ apartment using a key Candy provided, bludgeoned him with a metal pipe, and finished him off with repeated stabbings. The defense painted Jacques as an abusive husband who got what he deserved, while Candy was simply a loving wife caught in a nightmare. Star defense attorney Percy Foreman masterfully turned the trial into theater, casting doubt on every piece of evidence. The jury deliberated for nine hours before acquitting both Candy and Mel.


After the Verdict

Freedom didn’t bring Candy and Mel a happy ending. Their relationship fizzled. Mel married multiple times and continued pursuing business deals, some ending in prison sentences for fraud. Candy, meanwhile, lost her hold over the Mossler fortune. In 1976, she died from an overdose of prescription medications, alone in her Miami apartment.


Legacy of a Scandal

The case of Candy Mossler and Mel Powers remains one of America’s most scandalous murder trials. It mixed sex, money, incestuous undertones, and high society secrets into one toxic cocktail. Decades later, it’s a chilling reminder that behind the facade of privilege, the most twisted motives can lurk—and sometimes, justice never arrives.


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All information contained in this audio podcast or video presentation is provided for entertainment purposes only. The authors leave any and all conclusions to individual members of the audience. The author offers no statements of fact beyond those available through diligent private research or through information freely available in the public record. To the extent that pending or settled criminal matters or crime or possible crimes, are discussed in this audio podcast or video presentation. All parties or defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. To the extent that any pending or settled civil matters are discussed in this video presentation, all parties or defendants are presumed not liable unless proven liable in a court of law. Copyright for material incorporated and presented under Fair Use is retained by the original author or copyright holder where applicable. Our cases are researched using open source and archive materials, and the subjects are real crimes and people. We strive to produce each episode with respect to the victims, their families and loved ones. At Hitched 2 Homicide we are committed to always discussing how victims lived, and not just how they died. All podcast information is gleaned from sources given. All opinions in the podcast are solely of Hitched 2 Homicide and are for entertainment purposes only.

 
 
 
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