Harriett Mendez worked with the nonprofit, Season of Justice, to install a billboard to spread awareness about the murder of her sister, Pam Smotherman.
SAN ANTONIO — The sister of a murdered convenience store worker in Garden Ridge is hoping a new billboard amplifies the message that the fight for justice isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Just north of I-35 near O’Connor Road, a new billboard asks a question that has gone unanswered since July 29, 2020: Who murdered Pollyanna Smotherman?
“For me, I keep it together because I feel she is my purpose,” said Harriett Mendez, sister of Pam Smotherman.
Smotherman was working the overnight shift at the E-Z Mart in the 19500 block of FM 3009 in Garden Ridge when a masked gunman entered the store demanding money and lottery tickets. Although she complied, investigators say she was shot and killed before the suspect fled. No arrest has been made, and the case remains open.
Over the years, Mendez has shifted from anger to resolve, turning grief into action. Mendez forgives the person who killed Pam, although she still wants closure.
Mendez is working with Texas state lawmakers to introduce legislation focused on protecting convenience store employees.
“We’ve moved on from the sense of anger,” Mendez said. “We just want some kind of answers.”
With assistance from the nonprofit Season of Justice, Mendez was able to fund and install the billboard, hoping it will spark new tips and remind the public and potential witnesses that the case is far from cold.
Season of Justice provides funding for families and investigative agencies to help solve cold cases nationwide.
“I want people to know that it’s still an open case,” Mendez said. “When you look at her billboard, you see her. It makes it more human. It makes it more real.”
Beyond the billboard, Mendez is encouraged by the action of the City of Garden Ridge. She said Garden Ridge police have requested assistance from the Texas Attorney General’s Office, and a state-appointed cold case investigator is now reviewing the evidence.
For Mendez, that collaboration has restored a sense of hope, especially with Garden Ridge being governed by a new mayor she says has led to improved collaboration on the case.
From public awareness campaigns to expanded law enforcement involvement, she says the effort to find her sister’s killer is only growing stronger.
“She’s still very much alive with us,” Mendez said. “She’s loved and talked to every day.”
In the months ahead, Mendez plans to install additional billboards across San Antonio. Smotherman’s family is also offering a $50,000 reward from her own funds to anyone with information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for her sister’s death.
“She knows that we’re not giving up,” Mendez said. “We will never give up.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Garden Ridge police at 210-651-6441 or Comal County Crime Stoppers at 830-620-8477.