Wanda Holloway

Wanda Holloway (Wanda Webb Holloway) is a woman from Channelview, Texas, known for hiring a hit man to kill the mother of her daughter's cheerleading rival.

Overview

In 1991, Wanda Holloway asked her ex-brother-in-law to hire a hitman to kill the mother of a girl who was competing with her daughter for a spot on their junior high school's cheerleading squad. Holloway wanted the mother killed because she determined that the competing girl would be so devastated by her mother's death that she would drop out of the competition, thereby giving Holloway's daughter the coveted spot on the cheerleading squad. Both girls were thirteen at the time. She became known as the "Texas-Cheerleader-Murdering-Mom", and her story gained national attention and spawned two TV movies.

Aftermath

Holloway was convicted of solicitation of capital murder in a 1991 trial and sentenced to fifteen years in prison, but the conviction was overturned because a juror was on probation. There was no second trial because Holloway pleaded "no contest" (nolo contendere). The judge found her guilty and sentenced her to ten years in prison. She was released on March 1, 1997 after serving six months of her sentence. The judge ordered her to serve the remaining 9.5 years on probation. She was also ordered to complete one thousand hours of community service.

Movies

Movies made about the incident include:

• The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom, which starred Holly Hunter as Wanda Holloway.

• Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story also appeared on ABC in 1992 as a made-for-TV movie.