SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- A Missouri woman will spend the rest of her life in jail after admitting in court that she kidnapped and murdered a pregnant Arkansas woman in what prosecutors say was an attempt to seize her child.
Amber Waterman, 44, of Pineville, Missouri, pled guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Springfield to one count of kidnapping that resulted in death and one count of causing the death of an unborn child. According to US Attorney Teresa Moore, Waterman’s mandatory punishment will be life in prison without the possibility of parole. The formal sentencing date is October 15.
In her plea, Waterman agreed to use a fictitious name to contact Ashley Bush of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, on Facebook. Bush, 33, was approximately 31 weeks pregnant at the time.
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According to federal authorities, Waterman and Bush arranged to meet at an Arkansas convenience shop on October 31, 2022, with the intention of Waterman assisting Bush in finding work. Instead, Waterman drove Bush to his home in Pineville.
Hours later, first responders were dispatched to the home following a complaint that a baby was not breathing. The baby was pronounced dead. Waterman at first claimed to have given birth. In her plea, she admitted that the baby was Bush’s. Bush was also the mother to three more children.
Bush’s body was discovered in a separate place. Arkansas authorities said she died of a gunshot wound, but police and prosecutors declined to elaborate on how the baby died.
Waterman’s husband, Jamie Waterman, was accused as an accessory after the fact for allegedly assisting in the disposal of Bush’s body. His trial is slated for October.