Harris County Sheriff Magen Fieramusca's mugshot following her December 2019 arrest.
Magen Fieramusca aka Maygen Humphrey is the Texas woman who has been arrested in connection with the death of Heidi Broussard. Broussard, 33, has been missing since December 12, having last been seen dropping her son off at Cowan Elementary School in Austin. Broussard was found dead December 19 in Jersey Village in Harris County, less than 20 miles northwest of Houston and 150 miles from where she was last seen. Her now-3-week-old daughter, Margot Carey, was found alive.
A car at the home where police found Heidi Broussard dead was registered to Magen Rose Fieramusca, a longtime friend of Broussard.
Broussard was found dead in the trunk of her car. The manner of the 33-year-old’s death has not been made public. Fieramusca is being held on kidnapping and tampering with a corpse charges. Her bond has been set at $600,000. She has been transferred from the Houston-area to Austin.
The week-long search for Broussard had involved the FBI, the Austin Police Department, the Texas Rangers and the Travis County Search and Rescue. The body found at Fieramusca’s home was confirmed as being Broussard by the missing mother’s mother who was speaking to NBC Houston.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Heidi Broussard Referred to Maygen Humphrey as Her ‘Best Friend’ in 2013
Facebook/Heidi Elizabeth
In 2013, Heidi Broussard referred to Maygen Humphrey as her “best friend” in a Facebook post. She has gone by both Magen Fieramusca and Maygen Humphrey, and also Magen Humphrey. Fieramusca appears to be a name from a former marriage. KVUE reports that the pair met when they were 11 at church camp.
The BumpA baby registry for Maygen Humphrey and Christopher Green.
The Austin American Statesman reports that Fieramusca had been pretending to be pregnant around the time of Broussard’s death. The report adds, citing a police source, that Fieramusca had been plotting to take Margot Carey before the child had been born. KVUE reports that Fieramusca was with Humphrey when she gave birth to Margot Casey in November 2019.
A registry on The Bump website for Fieramusca said that she and a man named Christopher Green were having a baby who was due on December 1.
The Austin American Statesman described Fieramusca as a “close friend” of Broussard’s in their reporting, citing friends of the deceased woman.
2. Fieramusca Worked as a Wedding Planner in Houston
LinkedIn/Maygen Humphrey
According to Maygen Humphrey’s LinkedIn’s page, she works as a wedding planner at the Enchanted Cypress Ballroom in Houston. Fieramusca has been in the role since January 2012.
There are two positive reviews for Fieramusca’s work on The Knot. One person said, “I would highly recommend future brides to be to have their wedding at enchanted cypress where Maygen is happy to help you with anything especially on the day of the wedding. Thank you so much Maygen for saving my wedding day.” While another person wrote, “I also got a wedding coordinator. Maygen was my coordinator from enchanted, and I thought she was there to just help me plan my night out, but she WENT OVER AND BEYOND. She was a TRUE WEDDING COORDINATOR.”
3. Fieramusca Had Been Offering to Help in the Search Efforts to Locate Broussard
PHOTOS: The “good friend” tied to the death of missing #Austin mom #HeidiBroussard appeared in #HarrisCounty Court this morning for outstanding traffic offenses. (She is the one in red.) Here’s what we know about Magen Fieramusca: t.co/kf2glESh7f
Those involved in the search for Broussard told KEN5 that Fieramusca had been offering to help. Tim Miller of Texas Esuusearch told the station, “There was not one single indication she had anything to do with it. She’s at the hospital as Heidi has a baby.”
Miller said that Fieramusca was his first call when he got a list of Broussard’s friends. Miller described the call saying, “She said, ‘Mr. Miller thank you for what you’re doing.’ She says, ‘I’m going to keep talking to people and everything and if I come up with anything, is it OK if I call you?'” Fieramusca told Miller that the last time she spoke to Broussard was the morning Broussard vanished. Miller said Fieramusca said the pair discussed breastfeeding problems.
4. Fieramusca Was Acquitted in a Theft Case in November 2019
Harris County JailMagen Fieramusca pictured in a previous booking photo.
Documents show that Fieramusca was acquitted in a theft case involving her former employer. Speaking to the Austin American-Statesman’s Ryan Autullo, Fieramusca’s attorney in the case, Eric Devlin, said that Fieramusca was accused by manager at a Cash Express Store in Humble, Texas, of putting $5,000 in a purse. Devlin said Fieramusca’s actions were captured on camera but that prosecutors couldn’t prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt and she was released.
Harris County Sheriff
Devlin went on to say that Fieramusca appeared to be pregnant and that her mental health seemed fine. Devlin said that he was a court-appointed lawyer. Documents show that the outcome of the case was the determination that “Probable cause exists, but case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at this time.”
At the time of her arrest in 2018, Fieramusca was bailed out by Christopher Green.
5. Margot Carey Was in Good Health When She Was Found
Screengrab via ABC HoustonThe car in question.
KVUE reports that police in Jersey Village first went to the home where Broussard was found dead because they were interested in a car parked in the backyard. More than 20 officers were on scene at the home where Broussard was found dead.
NEWS MEDIA: All media inquiries regarding law enforcement activity in the 8100 block of Bo Jack Dr. in northwest Harris County should be directed to the Austin Police Department. FBI Houston is no longer at the location. #HouNews
KTRK’s Jessica Wiley tweeted that Broussard’s body was taken from the home before midnight on December 19.
HAPPENING NOW: two dozen officers and agents from DPS, Texas Rangers, FBI and Austin Police are at a home in NW Harris County. They told neighbors it’s connected to an Austin missing persons case. They are focused on a car in the back. #abc13
ABC Houston reported, citing police sources, that authorities had suspected foul play because one of Broussard’s children was taken and the other was not.
Around the time that emergency responders found Heidi Broussard dead, Margot Carey was found unharmed, police said. DNA tests were administered to prove that Carey was the baby that authorities retrieved. Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department public information officer Lt. Daniel Arizpe told NBC News that the child was in good health when she was found.
Shane Carey, the father of Margot and Broussard’s , told CBS Austin that he last spoke to Broussard around 8 a.m. on December 12. Carey said that he returned home from work around 2 p.m. and found that Broussard and his daughter were not there. Police do not believe that he was involved in the alleged plot involving Fieramusca.
Austin Police Department
Carey says he then received a phone call from Cowan Elementary School to say that the couple’s son had not been picked up. Carey went to pick up his child at the school. When he returned home and Broussard still wasn’t there, Carey called the police. The missing persons reports were filed about 7 p.m. CBS Austin noted that when they spoke to him, Carey was at a T-Mobile store attempted to get Broussard’s cell phone records. Carey told the station, “If you see an awesome mom with a baby walking around or in a suspicious van or car or anything, please just somebody call.”
Carey told KVUE, “I don’t know why anybody would ever harm or touch these two beautiful women together.” Carey said, “She is an amazing person. She has amazing support, friends behind her. She’s so personable – one of the best people I’ve ever met, so kind, and she does anything for her kids – one of the best moms.”
5. Broussard Studied to Be a Veterinary Technician
Margot Carey pictured in a police handout.
CBS Austin reports Broussard worked at a Cracker Barrel in Buda, Texas. Broussard has worked at the location since 2015. Co-workers told the station that Broussard has been off work since giving birth on November 26. According to Broussard’s Facebook page, she studied to be a veterinary technician in college.
Broussard’s son was born in July 2013, according to her Facebook page. She and Shane Carey met in 2009 and they have been engaged since 2012, after he proposed to her in November of that year, Broussard said on Facebook.
Ty Carey, Shane Carey’s father, started a Facebook fundraiser to help with the search. “My son’s wife Heidi and his 3 week old daughter Margo have been missing since last Thursday and we are raising money for a reward and other expenses he’s incurring during this difficult time. Thank you for your support,” he wrote on Facebook.
A friend, Lauren Alyss Foster, wrote on Facebook, “Help find Heidi and Margo. Shane I’m so sorry your going through this. Know that I am praying for you so hard here in Colorado. They need her home! Please just bring them home!”
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