TX TX - Heidi Broussard, 33, Fnd Deceased, & Margo Carey, 2 weeks, Fnd Alive, Austin, 12 Dec 2019 #9

[RANCH]

There's that pesky, "pulled the body from the home" again.

We know she was killed in the trunk, according to the autopsy, but do we know she was actually found in the trunk?

I'm going with she was killed and then placed in the trunk of the car. But I admit I could be wrong.

I've also thought about her being killed in the trunk. That means she was alive and either forced into the trunk or was incapacitated, put in the trunk and then strangled.

I would think that a weapon like a gun or knife would be required to force her into the trunk. Why not use the knife or gun to kill her?

If she was incapacitated why put her in the trunk and then strangle her? I have more questions than answers.

 

[susiQ]

Does anyone know the make, model and year of car HB was found in?

 

[RANCH]

Does anyone know the make, model and year of car HB was found in?

Good question.

It would be nice to know the size of the trunk.

 

[vlpate]

We know she was found in the trunk, but we don’t know if she was killed there.

Officials said Heidi Broussard, 33, was found strangled to death in the trunk of a car after she and her infant daughter were last seen Dec. 12 in Austin. The mother was last seen dropping off her 6-year-old son at an elementary school.

Officials: Missing Austin Mother Was Found Strangled To Death In Trunk Of Car, Kidnapping Suspect In Custody

According to the autopsy her place of death was the trunk

Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences
Case Number: ML19-4432
Case Status

Case Num: ML19-4432
Last Name: BROUSSARD
First Name: HEIDI
NOK Relationship: PARENTS
Certificate of Death*: Ready
Cause of Death Pending: No
Certificate of Death Amendment: N/A
EDR: 44444625215
Manner of Death: Homicide
Place of Death: TRUNK OF VEHICLE HOUSTON TX
Report Completed: No
Ready for Transport: Ready
Primary Cause of Death: Ligature strangulation

 

[MassGuy]

According to the autopsy her place of death was the trunk

Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences
Case Number: ML19-4432
Case Status

Case Num: ML19-4432
Last Name: BROUSSARD
First Name: HEIDI
NOK Relationship: PARENTS
Certificate of Death*: Ready
Cause of Death Pending: No
Certificate of Death Amendment: N/A
EDR: 44444625215
Manner of Death: Homicide
Place of Death: TRUNK OF VEHICLE HOUSTON TX
Report Completed: No
Ready for Transport: Ready
Primary Cause of Death: Ligature strangulation

I’m sure that only relates to where her body was recovered, as opposed to being an official determination of that.

It’s probably unlikely that a determination could be made that quickly, merely from her body being in the trunk. It would require law enforcement to figure that aspect out, and there’s a chance they’ll never be able to definitively prove that.

Without someone talking, and with cause of death being strangulation as opposed to something that would have left blood behind, who knows.

 

[UnderstandBlue]

Does anyone know the make, model and year of car HB was found in?

In my unverified opinion it’s a Nissan Versa. A family member has one and it looks nearly identical to what the photos show.

 

[vlpate]

Good question.

It would be nice to know the size of the trunk.

Looks like a Sentra but there's no Nissan emblem on the front and is the trunk open or is that a spoiler?

 

[gliving]

Here's a screen shot of the document. It's not a death certificate. It is a "Case Status" document from the medical examiner's office. Notice that under the Manner of Death and Place of Death blue bar, it says NO under report complete. So I wouldn't hold what it says now as gospel. It's subject to change depending on the investigation.

 

[vlpate]

In my unverified opinion it’s a Nissan Versa. A family member has one and it looks nearly identical to what the photos show.

Yes it does look like the Versa -

2018 Nissan Versa Sedan trunk

 

[RANCH]

Yes it does look like the Versa -

2018 Nissan Versa Sedan trunk View attachment 223047

I agree, it does look like a Nissan Versa.

Trunk is rather large IMO.

 

[vlpate]

I’m sure that only relates to where her body was recovered, as opposed to being an official determination of that.

It’s probably unlikely that a determination could be made that quickly, merely from her body being in the trunk. It would require law enforcement to figure that aspect out, and there’s a chance they’ll never be able to definitively prove that.

Without someone talking, and with cause of death being strangulation as opposed to something that would have left blood behind, who knows.

One would be amazed at how advanced forensics are now - they likely figured out whether she was strangled in the car trunk, or tossed in after being strangled pretty quickly.

 

[Thunderdog]

In my unverified opinion it’s a Nissan Versa. A family member has one and it looks nearly identical to what the photos show.

Agreed. The Doctor I work for has one exactly like it. It’s a Versa. Super efficient on gas, but a tiny tiny car!

 

[UnderstandBlue]

I'm going with she was killed and then placed in the trunk of the car. But I admit I could be wrong.

So with the single perpetrator? That’s my issue with scenarios involving moving a body.

I have more questions than answers

Yep.

 

[MassGuy]

One would be amazed at how advanced forensics are now - they likely figured out whether she was strangled in the car trunk, or tossed in after being strangled pretty quickly.

Maybe, but it sure as hell wouldn’t appear in the autopsy report this soon after. That takes thorough analysis, by people other than the ME.

This was a strangulation, and proving unequivocally that she was murdered in that trunk, is probably unlikely. Forensics may not completely tell that story.

If this was a stabbing or shooting, that would be different.

 

[RANCH]

Agreed. The Doctor I work for has one exactly like it. It’s a Versa. Super efficient on gas, but a tiny tiny car!

Small car. Big trunk.

Nissan Versa Cargo Space
The 2016 Versa sedan has one of the largest trunks in the class, at 14.9 cubic feet.

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/nissan/versa/2016

 

[RANCH]

So with the single perpetrator? That’s my issue with scenarios involving moving a body.


Yep.

Maybe she had help.

It would answer some of my questions if she did.

Two vs one makes it more possible to force someone into a trunk and strangle them there. JMO

 

[Seattle1]

Here's a screen shot of the document. It's not a death certificate. It is a "Case Status" document from the medical examiner's office. Notice that under the Manner of Death and Place of Death blue bar, it says NO under report complete. So I wouldn't hold what it says now as gospel. It's subject to change depending on the investigation.

View attachment 223043

I think the status report contains much of the same info that appears on HB's death certificate.

The document provides that the certificate is "Ready," the cause of death is not pending (i.e., ligature strangulation), and manner of death "Homicide." I also think the the autopsy report is incomplete and therefore reported as "No" on the case study. MOO

 

[RANCH]

Here's a video that show's a couple of guys comparing the trunk space on a Nissan Versa and a Honda Accord.

One thing I noticed is that the license plate is placed on the trunk lid on these cars which makes the trunk opening lower than cars that have the plate fixed below.

The obvious reason to design the trunk opening this way is to allow for easier loading of large and heavy items into the trunk. JMO.

 

[KCmetwo]

@KCmetwo and @Trudie have posted here about the tarp and I think both were going to look for a link but I haven't seen it. The only other place I've seen it mentioned was in a comment (random person with no knowledge of the case, from what I can tell) on a tweet. Could also have come from FB but I wouldn't know - I don't follow there. MOO

I heard it on the police scanner that night. I can't get a link to it as it's currently blocked. I have been trying to find a back route to it but the other services (like braodcastify) want you to pay for the service. if you have access to that, go to the date, and it would be around 10:00 or 11 I do believe.

 

[RANCH]

I heard it on the police scanner that night. I can't get a link to it as it's currently blocked. I have been trying to find a back route to it but the other services (like braodcastify) want you to pay for the service. if you have access to that, go to the date, and it would be around 10:00 or 11 I do believe.

Scanner traffic isn't allowed for discussion on the main forum.

We do have a scanner section in the "The Parking Lot" section of the forum.

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/forums/scanner-chatter.377/