Wanda Holloway
Encyclopedia
Wanda Holloway is a woman from Channelview, Texas
, known for hiring a hit man to kill the mother of her daughter's cheerleading
rival.
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.
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
.
Channelview, Texas
Channelview is a census-designated place in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area and Harris County. The population was 29,685 at the 2000 census...
, known for hiring a hit man to kill the mother of her daughter's cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
rival.
Overview
In 1991, Wanda Holloway asked her ex-brother-in-law to hire a hitmanHitman
A hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
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 solicitationSolicitation
Literally, solicitation means: 'urgently asking'. It is the action or instance of soliciting; petition; proposal. In criminal law, it most commonly refers to either the act of offering goods or services, or the act of attempting to purchase such goods or services...
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
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
. There was no second trial because Holloway pleaded "no contest" (nolo contendere
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
). 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
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
.
Movies
Movies made about the incident include:- The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering MomThe Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering MomThe Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom is a 1993 comedy TV movie produced by and for HBO. It was directed by Michael Ritchie and starred Holly Hunter, Swoosie Kurtz and Beau Bridges....
, which starred Holly HunterHolly HunterHolly Hunter is an American actress. Hunter starred in The Piano for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She has also been nominated for Oscars for her roles in Broadcast News, The Firm, and Thirteen...
as Wanda Holloway.
- Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader StoryWilling to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader StoryWilling to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story is a 1992 television film directed by David Greene. It stars Lesley Ann Warren and Tess Harper. It was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 1993.-Cast:*Lesley Ann Warren as Wanda Holloway...
also appeared on ABC in 1992 as a made-for-TV movie.