Amber Waterman admitted in federal court Tuesday she kidnapped a pregnant Benton County woman, resulting in her death and the death of her unborn child.
Waterman, 44, of Pineville, Mo., pleaded guilty without the benefit of a plea agreement to federal charges of kidnapping resulting in death and causing the death of a child in utero in connection with the deaths of Ashley Bush and her unborn child in federal court in Springfield, Mo.
Waterman Made Fake Facebook Profile, Posed as Woman Offering Baby Items to New Moms
Bush was 31 weeks pregnant when she went missing on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022. She was reported missing to the Benton County, Arkansas Sheriff's office by her boyfriend, Joshua Willis, the father of the child she was carrying.
Willis told police Ashley had gone to meet with a woman named "Lucy" but never returned. Investigators allege that "Lucy" was Amber Waterman and she was seeking someone either with a baby or expecting one. "Lucy Barrows" account on Facebook was newly created and posted on social media on October 24, 2022.
"I have a bunch of baby items if any moms to be need them," she wrote in a post on a mommy group. Additionally, on Amber Waterman's FB account she posted on September 6, 2022, some sonogram photos of a baby claiming to be pregnant.
Waterman Killed Bush, Stole Her Baby and then Claimed She Suffered a Miscarriage After Baby was Unresponsive
Waterman pretended to help Bush obtain employment, suggesting she had a job opportunity for her and the two met at 11:45 a.m. Oct. 31, 2022, at a convenience store in Maysville. At about 5 p.m. Oct. 31, first responders reported to a Longview store in Pineville for an emergency call of a baby who was not breathing.
When emergency responders arrived at the scene, Waterman told them she gave birth to a stillborn on the way to the hospital. She allegedly refused medical treatment and the coroner confirmed that the baby was "cut out" from the mother's womb.
Bush's body was found three days later in Missouri. An autopsy indicated Bush died as a result of penetrating trauma of the torso and her death was classified as a homicide.
Jamie Waterman, Amber Waterman's husband, is charged federally with one count of being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping resulting in death. He isn't facing any state charges.
Jamie Waterman told authorities his wife showed him Bush's body, which was near their home, according to court documents. He said they burned the body and took the charred remains to another location, the document states.
