A woman from Texas accused of murdering her “friend,” Heidi Broussard, and kidnapping her newborn baby in 2019 has been handed a 55-year prison sentence after pleading guilty, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office said.
Authorities arrested 37-year-old Magen Fieramusca more than a week after police found Broussard’s body in the trunk of a car parked at Fieramusca’s residence in the Houston area. Broussard’s newborn was also found in Fieramusca’s home, safe and unharmed.
Broussard, who was 33 years old, went missing on December 12, 2019, along with her newborn daughter, Margot Carey, after Broussard dropped off her son at school.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza released a statement on Tuesday, January 31, saying that one of the plea agreement conditions was that the defendant waived her right to appeal. The case would not remain open after sentencing for post-litigation conviction.
According to DA Garza, his office hoped the case outcome would bring Broussard and Carey’s family closure and help them with their healing process. He said the outcome would help the family from enduring the post-conviction litigation process.
Brian Erskine, Fieramusca’s attorney, agreed with the DA’s sentiments saying that the agreement was the best way to avoid possible future appeals.
Broussard and Fieramusca had been friends for over 10 years and met while studying at the Texas Bible Institute.
According to an arrest affidavit, Fieramusca claimed that she and the victim were pregnant at the same time. The two had even spoken about delivering their babies around the same time. It is, however, unclear whether Fieramusca was pregnant.
The affidavit states that the defendant convinced her ex-boyfriend that she had given birth to his child and tried to pass Broussard’s daughter off as her own.
Surveillance footage showed Fieramusca’s car in Broussard’s apartment building the day the mother and baby disappeared. A witness told police she saw a woman and child getting into the car before it sped away.
Investigators looking for the missing mother and child followed the defendant’s ex-boyfriend to a nearby Target, where he bought baby clothes and formula. They approached him and showed him a picture of Broussard and Carey, and he said the child was the baby at his house.
When questioned about the name of the birthing center where she had her baby, Fieramusca said she couldn’t remember the name.
Broussard’s newborn was returned to the baby’s father.
