Unforgotten CasebookThe cases. The books. The screen stories.
The case library /

Channelview, Texas · 1991

Wanda Holloway

Movie artwork: The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom — HBO · 1993 · dramatized TV film
Movie artworkThe Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering MomHBO · 1993 · dramatized TV filmArtwork via Rotten Tomatoes / HBO

The story behind The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom

Also known in coverage as: Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom

Wanda Holloway tried to arrange the killing of the mother of a girl competing with her daughter for a cheerleading position. She believed the death would keep the rival out of competition. The man she approached contacted authorities, and recordings exposed the 1991 Texas plot before anyone was killed.

Content note: violence, abuse, or loss. Linked material may contain graphic descriptions. Screen dramatizations may change events and dialogue.

Roads Traveled

Open case map →

Channelview, Texas. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.

Map sources checked September 14, 2026. No case-specific Odd Stops location was found in this review.

See this case’s source review
Odd Stops
No verified match found. Source imagery is linked; only separately licensed photos are reproduced.
MurderData
No verified match found.
ArcGIS essay
Not included in this essay.
Reddit map
Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.

“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.

See the full case checklist →

The map shows regional context for this case. No individually sourced historical place is included below.

Explore outside maps & location guides →

Fiction Work

Browse all →

Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.

01Books

0 items

This section is awaiting its first entry.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

02Movies

2 items

Watch links, previews, and historical title listings are identified below. Availability varies by service and region; rentals or subscriptions may be required.

IMDb · Screen title

The Texas Cheerleader Murder Plot (2024)

IMDb title reference connected to the Wanda Holloway case. Listed release: 2024. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.

Credits & title details on IMDb

03TV & documentaries

0 items

Watch links, previews, and historical title listings are identified below. Availability varies by service and region; rentals or subscriptions may be required.

This section is awaiting its first entry.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

04Newspaper clippings

1 items

Original newspaper coverage, hosted by Newspapers.com. Read each article in the context of its publication date; later findings may differ. Full-page access may require sign-in.

Featured newspaper clipping

Read a featured clipping here, then explore more reporting in the newspaper archive.

The Houston Chronicle · 1996-09-10 · Page 1

Wanda Holloway enters no-contest plea and receives sentence

Contemporary reporting on Holloway’s no-contest plea in the plot against Verna Heath. It explains why the earlier conviction was overturned and the judge’s comments about possible shock probation.

The article describes expectations at sentencing, not a verified account of the eventual release.

Open full clipping at Newspapers.com

Keep following the newspaper trail.

Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.

Explore more on Newspapers.com

Newspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.

05News & reporting

0 items

This section is awaiting its first entry.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

06Podcasts

15 items

Direct links open the selected episode in Apple Podcasts or on its publisher’s site. Some editions may require a subscription.

Apple Podcasts

Made-for-TV Movie Club — The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom

Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.

Listen to the episode

Residue: A True Crime Podcast

The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom: The Wanda Holloway Story

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released September 2, 2025. About 37 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Ray William Johnson: True Story Podcast

This Crazy Cheerleading Mom Who Tried To Murder - The Wanda Holloway story

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released April 25, 2025. About 8 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Christian True-Crime Junkies!

When Cheerleading Turns Deadly: Wanda Holloway (The Pom-Pom Mom)

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released October 7, 2025. About 70 minutes.

Listen to the episode

American Criminal

To Kill A Cheerleader | How to Hire a Hitman in Channelview, Texas

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released June 12, 2025. About 47 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Menopause is Murder

Wanda Holloway

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released August 31, 2026. About 48 minutes.

Listen to the episode

MURDERISH

Wanda Holloway: “Deadly Pom-Pom Mom”

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released January 6, 2025. About 76 minutes.

Listen to the episode

True Crimecast

Pom Pom Mom - Wanda Holloway

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released November 20, 2018. About 27 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Creeps and Crimes

TBB 18: Wanda Holloway (The Pom Pom Mom)

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released January 28, 2025. About 18 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Like Mother Like Murder

003: Wanda Holloway - The murder for hire cheerleading mom

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released July 28, 2022. About 59 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Bitch I Can’t

32. The Pom Pom Mom: Wanda Holloway

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released November 14, 2023. About 36 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Texas True Crime

Episode 39: Wanda Holloway, The Pom Pom Mom

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released November 20, 2023. About 30 minutes.

Listen to the episode

When Killers Get Caught with Brittany Ransom

The Price of the Pyramid: Wanda Holloway and the Texas Cheerleader Murder Plot

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released June 4, 2026. About 40 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Crimes of a Decade, A Texas True Crime Podcast

Wanda Holloway year 1991

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released February 9, 2022. About 30 minutes.

Listen to the episode

Horror House: True Crime and The Macabre

Episode 121: 'Pom-Pom Mom': Wanda Holloways Dark Obsession

Podcast coverage of the Wanda Holloway case. Released June 26, 2026. About 76 minutes.

Listen to the episode

07Social Media

5 items

Case videos, posts, family pages, and creator communities. Creator channels and groups cover multiple cases; each includes a link to the relevant episode. Facebook or TikTok may require sign-in, and groups may require membership approval. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting.

Dr. Todd Grande

Woman Hires 'Killer' to Eliminate Cheerleader Who Bested Daughter | Wanda Holloway Case Analysis

Video from Dr. Todd Grande covering the Wanda Holloway case. Length: 14:46.

Watch on YouTube

KPRC 2 Click2Houston

1991 - Wanda Holloway - Cheerleading Hit

Video from KPRC 2 Click2Houston covering the Wanda Holloway case. Length: 1:32.

Watch on YouTube

ABC News

Daughter of so-called 'Pom-Pom Mom' discusses pain of alleged cheerleader murder plot

Video from ABC News covering the Wanda Holloway case. Length: 9:30.

Watch on YouTube

Murder With My Husband

Mother Did The Unthinkable To Her Daughter's Best Friend!

Video from Murder With My Husband covering the Wanda Holloway case. Length: 38:03.

Watch on YouTube

ABC13 Houston

The cheerleader mom murder for hire case

Video from ABC13 Houston covering the Wanda Holloway case. Length: 1:08.

Watch on YouTube

08Blogs & essays

1 items

Outside blogs, personal essays, and creator write-ups. These reflect each author’s perspective. Check publication dates and compare claims with reporting and court records.

Medium · The Wicked Truth · Blog / essay

The Cheerleader Mom Who Tried to Kill the Competition

An outside blog or essay discussing Wanda Holloway. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription. Publisher access could not be checked directly; this article is indexed in search.

Read the blog or essay

09Internet Archive

4 items

Individual records from Internet Archive: library books, historical broadcasts, and preserved web pages. A catalog listing does not guarantee free reading or full playback. Access, previews, and borrowing are controlled by Internet Archive.

Internet Archive · Library record · 1992

Mother love, deadly love

Maier, Anne McDonald. A library catalog record for a book connected with Wanda Holloway. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.

View the library record

Internet Archive · TV News Archive

Today : WRC : February 11, 2012 7:00am-9:00am EST

The archive indexes this broadcast under Wanda Holloway. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.

Explore the archived broadcast

Internet Archive · TV News Archive

ABC2 News at 530PM : WMAR : February 14, 2012 5:30pm-6:00pm EST

The archive indexes this broadcast under Wanda Holloway. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.

Explore the archived broadcast

Internet Archive · TV News Archive

Nightline : KGO : December 17, 2024 12:37am-1:06am PST

The archive indexes this broadcast under Wanda Holloway. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.

Explore the archived broadcast

10From the journal

0 articles

This section is awaiting its first entry.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

11Court records & documents

1 items

Court opinions, filings, transcripts, and dockets, alongside clearly labeled parole records, released investigative files, and courtroom recordings. Each item identifies its source and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. These selections are not complete case files. Where an online document could not be verified, a separate guide identifies the records office or archive to contact.

Related civil caseArchive copy

Travelers v. Holloway — insurance-coverage appeal

A related civil decision addressing insurance coverage for the Heath family’s emotional-distress lawsuit after the cheerleader-mother murder plot. This is not Holloway’s criminal appeal.

Court / agency
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Document date
March 28, 1994
Case / citation
17 F.3d 113
Hosted by
Justia

12Nicknames & media names

1 items

Media title · HBO dramatization

Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom

A label used in the HBO film’s title. The case involved a murder plot; the intended victim was not killed.

Read source

13Where are they now?

0 items

The latest information verified for this collection is listed below. Each source has its own date; these are not live custody records.

A current-status update has not been verified for this case yet.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

14Positive Outcome

0 items

Documented laws, advocacy, and reforms connected to this case. Changes do not undo the harm, and listing a law does not claim that it is effective or universally supported.

No case-specific law, reform, or advocacy initiative has been verified for this collection yet. This does not mean that none exists.

New material will appear here after editorial review.