(Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff)
A Missouri woman has admitted to kidnapping and murdering a pregnant Arkansas woman she lured with a fake job opportunity.
According to PEOPLE, a July 30 press release from the U.S. District Attorney’s Western District of Missouri stated that Amber Waterman pleaded guilty in federal court to kidnapping and killing Ashley Bush and her unborn child, Valkyrie Willis.
The press release explains that by pleading guilty, Waterman admitted to kidnapping Ashley Bush to claim her unborn child, Valkyrie Willis, as her own.
PEOPLE reports that Waterman contacted 31-week-pregnant Ashley Bush on Facebook, pretending to offer her a job. The outlet revealed that Waterman created a fake Facebook account under “Lucy Burrows” to offer free baby clothes to expecting mothers and allegedly used it to contact Bush.
On October 28, 2022, Waterman and Bush first met at a library in Gravette, Arkansas. Three days later, Waterman convinced Bush to enter her truck near a convenience store, claiming they were meeting a supervisor.
Ashley’s fiancé, Joshua Willis, told police he saw her and Waterman drive away in a tan truck when he arrived at the convenience store. Ashley didn’t answer his calls, and authorities later found her phone on the highway shoulder.
Waterman then reportedly kidnapped Bush and drove her to her home in Pineville, Missouri. Later that night, someone called first responders to assist a baby who was not breathing.
Waterman admitted she told authorities Bush gave birth to the baby in the truck on the way to the hospital, even though the baby actually died in utero during the kidnapping.
In November 2022, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office found Bush’s charred remains in Missouri, a day after authorities discovered her unborn child’s body in another location.
Authorities ruled Ashley Bush’s death a homicide, with an autopsy showing she died from torso trauma.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that Waterman pleaded guilty to kidnapping, resulting in death and causing the death of a child in utero.
U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore announced Amber Waterman’s sentence and affirmed she will be held accountable for her actions.
“This horrific crime resulted in the tragic deaths of two innocent victims. Today’s guilty plea holds this defendant accountable for her actions and ensures that justice will be served. She is now subject to a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison without parole.”
Waterman could receive a life sentence in federal prison without parole, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for October 15, 2024.
