Sela Ward, an Emmy winner for both NBC's "Sisters" and ABC's "Once and Again," has signed on for the lead in CBS' telefilm "Suburban Madness." The project tells the true-life story of Clara Harris, the Texas woman convicted last year of murdering her husband with her Mercedes-Benz. The focus of "Suburban Madness" is actually private investigator Bobbi Bacha (Ward). Bacha was hired by Ward to spy on her husband David, but rather than merely chronicling David's infidelity Bacha ended up taking her own client as she ran over her husband.

Harris' 17-year-old stepdaughter was in the car at the time and testified against her in court. She was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 20 years. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Robert Dornhelm (ABC's "Anne Frank: The Whole Story") will direct the telepic, executive produced by prolific "Reagans" duo Craig Zadan and Neil Meron of Storyline Entertainment. Dornhelm's most recent productions were USA Network's "Spartacus" and "Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story." Ward, also an Emmy nominee for the telefilm "Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story," was on screens this spring in "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" and will appear in the summer blockbuster "The Day After Tomorrow."