A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a Pineville woman to life in prison for the kidnapping and murder of a pregnant Arkansas woman and her victim’s unborn child.
U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough sentenced Amber Waterman, 44, to two consecutive terms of life in federal prison without parole, according to a press release.
In July, Waterman pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of causing the death of an infant in utero. Waterman admitted that she kidnapped Ashley Bush in order to claim her unborn child, Valkyrie Willis, as her own, and that both Bush and Valkyrie Willis died as a result of the kidnapping.
In 2022, Amber Waterman contacted Bush, who was approximately 31 weeks pregnant at the time, via Facebook with a fake job offer. According to the press release, Waterman and Bush met in person on October 28, 2022, at the Gravette Public Library in Arkansas. At approximately 11:45 a.m. on October 31, 2022, Bush encountered Waterman at a grocery store in Maysville, Arkansas. Under the pretense that Waterman was taking her to a meeting with her supervisor for further employment discussions, Bush got into a truck driven by Waterman. Waterman then kidnapped Bush, driving her from Maysville to the Waterman residence in Pineville.
On October 31, 2022, at approximately 5 p.m., paramedics responded to a Pineville grocery store to request emergency medical services for a child who was not breathing. Waterman told emergency services she gave birth to the baby in the truck on the way to the hospital. She later admitted it was Bush’s baby, who died in utero.
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An autopsy determined that Bush died of penetrating trauma to the torso, and her death was classified as a homicide.
The husband pleads guilty
Waterman’s husband, Jamie Waterman, 44, pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of complicity to kidnapping resulting in death. Jamie Waterman admitted that he knew that Amber Waterman had kidnapped Bush, causing the death of her unborn child, and provided assistance to hinder or prevent the apprehension, trial and punishment of Amber Waterman.
Court documents show that Amber Waterman led Jamie Waterman to Bush’s body. Jamie Waterman helped hide and dispose of the body.