5 Shocking Facts About the 2019 Disappearance and Murder of Austin Mom Heidi Broussard
A Plan To Kill: The Tragic Story of Heidi Broussard
A chilling case that captured national attention unfolded in Austin, Texas, when Heidi Broussard’s life was forever changed on December 12, 2019. At the age of 33, Heidi had recently welcomed her second child, Margo, into the world. She was devoted to her family, spending her days as a mother to her six-year-old son and two-week-old daughter.
On that fateful morning, Heidi dropped off her son at Cowan Elementary School in South Austin around 7:30 a.m. That was the last time she was seen alive. Hours later, both Heidi and her newborn daughter, Margo, disappeared from their South Austin apartment without a trace. Their home was left untouched, with all their belongings still inside, leaving no signs of a struggle or conflict.
The disappearance sent shockwaves through the community. Family members and friends, along with local police, launched an extensive search for Heidi and Margo. A week later, authorities found Heidi’s body, which had been strangled to death, more than 100 miles away from Houston. Meanwhile, baby Margo was discovered safe and unharmed in the area.
It was later revealed that the suspect behind the crime was someone Heidi had trusted deeply—Magen Fieramusca, a longtime friend. This tragic case became the focus of A Plan To Kill, season 2, episode 3, titled Deadly Desire, released on March 29, 2026, on Oxygen.
5 Chilling Facts About the Disappearance and Murder of Heidi Broussard
1. The Sudden Disappearance After a Normal School Drop-Off
Heidi followed her usual routine on December 12, 2019, driving her six-year-old son to school. She was last seen with her two-week-old daughter, Margo, who had been born just weeks earlier on November 26. After that, Heidi and Margo simply vanished. Their apartment showed no signs of violence, and everything remained in place.
Family members grew worried when Heidi stopped responding to calls and texts. Shane Carey, her fiancé, reported them missing after several hours of silence. As the search continued, the public became increasingly interested in the case. Phone records later placed another person’s device near the apartment that morning, and surveillance footage became key evidence in the investigation.
2. The Longtime Friend Who Had Access to the Family’s Home
Heidi and Magen Fieramusca had been friends for nearly a decade, meeting in 2010 at the Texas Bible Institute. Fieramusca, who lived in the Houston area, often visited Austin and had even been given a key to Heidi and Shane’s apartment. She was present at the hospital when Margo was born and spent time with the family afterward.
Fieramusca claimed to have given birth to a baby girl around the same time as Heidi, though no photos were ever shared. Investigators later found that her phone had been near the Austin apartment on the day Heidi disappeared. What started as a supportive friendship turned into a central focus of the investigation.
3. The Fake Pregnancy and Plan to Take the Baby
Fieramusca told people she was pregnant at the same time as Heidi. She appeared about 37 weeks pregnant when she visited Austin in late November 2019. After Margo’s birth, Fieramusca claimed she had delivered her own baby girl on December 12 or 13. She told her ex-boyfriend, Christopher Green, that the child was his and brought the infant home.
Green believed her because her stomach looked firm and she described going into labor. However, Fieramusca could not name the exact birthing center she supposedly used. Court records show she searched online for “reasons for Amber Alert” and “bodies found in Austin, Texas” in the days after Heidi disappeared.
4. The Drive to Houston with a Hidden Body in the Trunk
After the disappearance, Fieramusca drove back to the Houston area with baby Margo. She presented the infant to Green as her newborn daughter. Neighbors noticed a car registered to Fieramusca parked behind the house where she and Green lived, positioned to avoid detection.
Law enforcement followed Green when he left to buy baby supplies and identified Margo as “the baby at my house.” Inside the trunk of the car, officers found a black duffel bag containing Heidi’s body. A medical examiner ruled the death a homicide by strangulation or asphyxiation.
5. The Arrest, Guilty Plea, and Sentence
Magen Fieramusca was arrested in January 2020 and faced charges including capital murder, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence. In February 2023, she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 55 years in prison. Margo was safely returned to her father, Shane Carey, and her older brother.
The case brought some closure after more than three years of waiting. Fieramusca will serve her sentence in a Texas prison, and the tragedy remains a reminder of how quickly trust can be broken.
