It feels like something out of classic comedy Drop Dead Gorgeous, a god-fearing Texas town torn apart in a murderous rage over… cheerleading?
It’s 1991 in Channelview, Texas, and judging by the perms, the 1980s are sticking around a little longer here than the rest of the world. But Wanda Holloway has a bee in her bonnet. By all appearances, the 36-year-old mother-of-two is a perfect citizen: she’s the organist at the local Missionary Baptist Church and focused on making sure her daughters have the happiest childhood.
For an early 90s mom, that means ensuring her daughter has a place on the cheerleading squad. After that, it’s easy street: she hooks up with the quarterback, he knocks her up, they get married, he becomes a used-car salesman, the couple quietly go insane, become alcoholics, and have a messy divorce in the mid-2000s. You know, a classic Texas romance.
But there was one obstacle standing in Wanda’s way: fellow mom Verna Heath. She was the mother of her daughter’s cheerleading rival. So what if… she wasn’t around anymore. If Heath (and maybe her daughter) were to meet a tragic end, the way is clear for her family’s cheerleading success! And so, the legend of the killer ‘Pom-Pom Mom’ was born.
Perhaps after watching a few too many bad movies, Holloway called her former brother-in-law, Terry Harper and casually asked him if he knew a hitman she could hire. Presumably a little surprised at the request, he said he did. Then, to his credit, he immediately headed to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to report that this cheer-mom had murder on her mind.
“The mother, she ain’t worth crap”
They strapped a wire on him and sent him to meet her. She duly provided the Heaths’ address and their daily routine, planning to whack both mom and daughter. Harper said, “$5,000 for the girl. $2,500 for the mother” and Holloway giggled, replying, “The mother, she ain’t worth crap, is she?”
In their next meeting, Holloway said she’d decided only her rival mom should die, saying: “The mother’s done more damage than the daughter … The mother is the one that screwed me around.” Arrangements were made (with the cops listening in). Then Holloway handed over a pair of diamond earrings as a down payment.
The cops pounced, arresting Holloway and charging her with solicitation of capital murder. But, incredibly, justice failed. Due to the mountain of evidence, she was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Then it was discovered that one of the jurors had a felony drug arrest, rendering the trial invalid.
A second trial was scheduled, to which she pleaded no contest; this time, she received a 10-year sentence. But, incredibly, she was released on probation after just six months. District Judge George Godwin said Holloway shouldn’t serve any more prison time and instead ordered her to perform 1,000 hours of community service. Perhaps being a suburban churchgoing white mom in Texas means you get a different standard of justice than anyone else.
Published: Feb 20, 2026 05:25 am