Is ‘Stolen Baby’ based on a true story? All about Heidi Broussard’s movie now streaming on Netflix
'Stolen Baby: The Murder of Heidi Broussard' chronicles the harrowing story of friendship, betrayal, and murder. It was initially released on Lifetime on September 23, 2023, and has recently found its way to Netflix. The plot centers on the friendship between two women: Heidi Broussard (Anna Hopkins) and Magen Fieramusca (Emily Osment), but the story takes a murderous turn after Heidi gives birth to her second child. The documentary film, spanning 1 hour and 26 minutes, is written by Alexandra Salerno and directed by Michelle Ouellet. For fans wondering whether the story is based on a true story, 'Stolen Baby' is indeed inspired by real events from 2019.
Heidi and Magen became close friends after meeting at a church camp when they were both 11 years old. Their friendship continued into their 30s, with Magen helping Heidi during her first pregnancy in 2013. When Heidi told her friend that she was pregnant again in 2019, Magen shared that she was pregnant with her first child. Both women stayed close throughout their pregnancies, bonding over their shared experiences and sharing pictures of their growing bellies. Magen even made the journey from Houston to Austin to be present in the hospital room when Heidi delivered her second child, a daughter named Margo Carey, on November 26, 2019. However, the new mother suddenly disappeared with her 2-week-old baby on December 12, after dropping off her son at school. Heidi's partner, Shane Carey, filed a missing persons report, which kicked off a nationwide search for the mother and daughter.
During the investigation, police authorities learned that Heidi's neighbor had seen her get into Magen's car the day she went missing. Their suspicions proved right as Heidi's body was found in the trunk of Magen's car, with autopsy reports confirming she was strangled to death. Furthermore, authorities found the baby alive inside Magen's house in Houston and returned the newborn to her family. Police later revealed that Magen used a dog leash to commit the murder. Magen was arrested and faced two counts of kidnapping and one count of tampering with a corpse. After her arrest, Magen revealed that she had faked her pregnancy and killed Heidi so she could steal her baby and pass Margot off as her own child. In January 2020, she was charged with capital murder, but it was later reduced to first-degree murder. Magen pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was handed a 55-year sentence on February 2, 2023.
The Netflix film stars Anna Hopkins as Heidi Broussard and Emily Osment as Magen Fieramusca. Other cast members include Ian Lake as Cody, Jamie Spilchuk as Greg, Jolanta Mojsej as Crystal, Sabryn Rock as Sarah, Candice Lidstone as Leighanne, Ashton Cressman as Aiden, Paulino Nunes as the FBI Agent Paul Richards, and Sonia Dhillon Tully as Detective Bonnie Majors.
