Friend of Heidi Broussard, Austin mom found strangled, is arrested for kidnapping
A vigil will be held today for a Texas mother who was murdered after she and her baby disappeared.
Heidi Broussard, 33, and her 3-week-old daughter disappeared on December 12. Investigators say Broussard was strangled; the baby was found alive at the same house where Broussard's body was discovered last Thursday night.
In a disturbing twist, Broussard's close friend Magen Fieramusca was charged with two counts of kidnapping and tampering with a corpse. But no one has been charged with the murder. Investigators say more charges could be coming for the suspect as they work to determine who killed Broussard and left her in the trunk of the Fieramuscas' car, reports CBS News correspondent Mireya Villarreal.
Authorities reportedly say Fieramusca had acted like she was expecting a child at the same time as Broussard as part of a plot to kidnap baby Margot.
For more than a week, Broussard's friends and family anxiously waited for word on why the happy mother of two and her infant child Margot had vanished.
The two were last seen the morning of December 12 where they lived in Austin. Broussard had just dropped her older child off at elementary school and returned home.
Several hours later, her fiancé came home to find Heidi and Margot missing, with Heidi's car still outside the couple's apartment. Her purse was inside the vehicle.
Last week, police and federal agents zeroed in on a silver sedan and a house more than 100 miles away from Broussard's home.
Just before an arrest was made, Caressa Nolte, a close friend of Broussard's, was speaking on a true-crime podcast when new information started rolling in about the investigation.
"That's Magen's house — oh my God, oh my God," Nolte said. "That's Magen, her best friend. She met her at church camp with me."
Magen Fieramusca had reportedly been Broussard's close friend for more than 20 years. She was arraigned and charged with kidnapping and tampering with a corpse. Now, the community is trying to come to terms with Broussard's tragic death.
Vicky Medina, who worked at Cracker Barrel with Broussard, said, "I knew how much she adored her family, so that has been the toughest of it all."
Medina said Broussard made everyone who walked into the restaurant feel like family. "It's going to be a very big void on behalf of all of her coworkers and the community because she was there for so long and I think that it'll be a while before everybody heals and continues on," she said.
A funeral for Heidi Broussard will be held in Louisiana, but we don't know what day that will take place. Baby Margot is currently staying with Texas Child Protective Services as police continue their investigation.
