A woman described as the "ultimate stage mother" could be sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of trying to hire a hit man to kill the mother of her daughter's rival for the high school cheerleading squad.
Jurors deliberated about six hours Tuesday before convicting Wanda Holloway, 37, of Channelview, of solicitation of murder. The jury was told to return this morning to hear testimony in the punishment phase of the trial.Prosecutors argued that Holloway wanted Verna Heath killed in hopes that Heath's daughter, Amber, would be too upset to compete in cheerleader tryouts against Holloway's daughter, Shanna Harper.
"I don't care what you do with her, I just don't want to see her in Channelview again," Holloway said in secret tape recordings played at the trial.
When jurors first told District Judge George Godwin they had reached verdicts, he told them to reread the charges and reconsider their decision. The jury announced its verdict on solicitation of murder 20 minutes later.
No verdict was announced on a charge of solicitation of kidnapping. The judge said jurors did not have to reach a decision on both charges.
"I'm pleased with the verdict so far," prosecutor Mike Anderson said.
Defense attorney Troy McKinney had no comment, citing a gag order imposed by the judge last week.
Holloway burst into tears after the verdict.
In the tapes played for the jury, Holloway discussed hiring a hit man with her former brother-in-law, Terry Harper.