Police in Austin and Houston have made an arrest in the case of a missing Austin mother and her infant daughter that has captured national attention since their disappearance earlier this month.
Heidi Broussard, 33, and her infant daughter Margot Carey were last seen on Dec. 12. Eight days later, the body of an adult woman and a healthy baby girl were discovered at a home in Houston.
Official DNA testing is underway and could take days to complete, but law enforcement said they believe they have discovered the baby and her mother.
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said Friday: “We do believe that this is Ms. Broussard.”
Here’s what we know so far, including a timeline of events:
Latest updates
• Law enforcement said they followed a lead in the case that brought them to a house in Jersey Village in Northwest Houston, where they discovered a female infant. The infant is healthy and in the custody of Child Protective Services, according to the department. Police are running a DNA test on the child to confirm her identity, but they believe she is Margot Carey.
• Law enforcement said a deceased adult female was also located at the residence. Her identity has not been confirmed and an autopsy is underway, but police said she is likely Broussard.
• The house in Houston is still an active crime scene, and law enforcement said they are investigating multiple locations between Austin and Houston related to the case.
• Police arrested and charged Magen Rose Fieramusca, 33, on Friday with two counts of kidnapping and one count of tampering with a corpse, according to arrest records from Harris County. Her bail is set at $600,000.
• Officials said Fieramusca is thought to be a close friend of Broussard’s and had pretended to be pregnant at the same time as Broussard, plotting to take her friend’s daughter since before the girl was born.
• Fieramusca’s car was found in Austin at the time of Broussard’s disappearance, according to law enforcement.
• Investigators said they believe Fieramusca may have had help with the killing and are searching for other people who may have been involved.
• Authorities said they do not think Shane Carey, Broussard’s boyfriend was involved.
Read more: Houston-area woman charged in case of missing Austin mom Heidi Broussard
Law enforcement activities
• Police have established a dedicated tip line for information about the case. They are encouraging anyone with information to call 512-974-5100.
Read more: Search for missing Austin woman, infant draws feds’ interest, social media speculation
Source Article from https://www.statesman.com/news/20191220/herersquos-what-we-know-so-far-about-heidi-broussard-case
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