Court documents provide chilling new details on kidnapping plot
Records say suspect faked pregnancy to steal friend's baby
AUSTIN, Texas (KYMA, KSWT, KECY/NBC News) - Newly released court documents detail an elaborate plot to kidnap a pregnant Texas woman and steal her newborn baby.
Heidi Broussard disappeared from her home near Austin on December 12, 2019. Eight days later her body was found in a duffel bag in the trunk of a car. Her infant daughter was later located in the home of one of her long-time friends, Magen Fieramusca, also known as Maygen Humphrey. Fieramusca now faces two counts of kidnapping, and one count of tampering with a corpse.
An arrest affidavit unsealed Monday describes the plot Fieramusca allegedly hatched to get her friend's baby. Records show her scheme included pretending for months to be pregnant herself.
Detectives say Fieramusca made the drive from Houston to Austin when she learned Broussard had gone into labor. They say she stayed overnight at Broussard's apartment and had access to the spare key. Fieramusca claims she left that key behind, but investigators say it was missing. Detectives believe Fieramusca used that key to return to Austin on December 12, and kidnap Broussard and her baby.
They say Fieramusca told her boyfriend the next day she'd given birth without him, and without contacting any members of their families. Records show she could not remember the name of the birthing center.
The affidavit further reveals, when Texas Rangers showed Fieramusca's boyfriend a photo of the missing infant, he told them, "That's the baby at my house."
Authorities then performed a welfare check at the suspect's home. That's when they found the baby. That's also when one Ranger smelled an unmistakable odor coming from Fieramusca's car, and discovered Broussard's body.
Fieramusca remains in custody on $600-thousand bail. Her attorney released this statement Monday after the affadivit was unsealed:
"The cursory information contained in the recently released probable cause affidavit is nothing more than mere allegations,"
Brian Erskine, Attorney for Magen Fieramusca
Broussard and Fieramusca had been friends for more than 10-years. They met while attending bible study.
