Missouri Woman Kidnapped Arkansas Pregnant Woman; Killed and Ripped Her Baby Apart to Claim Baby as Hers; Pleaded Guilty
A woman from Missouri has been sentenced to life in prison for confessing in court to the abduction and murder of a pregnant woman from Arkansas. Prosecutors believe her motive was to take the victim’s baby.
Amber Waterman, a 44-year-old resident of Pineville, Missouri, has admitted her guilt in a tragic case. On Tuesday, she pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Springfield to charges related to the kidnapping and death of a child in utero. According to U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore, Waterman has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. The formal sentencing has been scheduled for October 15th.
Waterman confesses to using a fake name to reach out to Ashley Bush of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, via Facebook. Bush, 33, was approximately 31 weeks pregnant at the time.
According to federal prosecutors, Waterman and Bush arranged to meet at an Arkansas convenience store on Oct. 31, 2022, with the pretense of Waterman assisting Bush in finding employment. Instead, Waterman took Bush to Waterman’s residence in Pineville.
Later in the day, emergency personnel were summoned to a residence after receiving a distressing report regarding an infant’s breathing. Tragic news: the baby has been declared deceased. Waterman initially asserted that she had given birth. She confessed that the child belonged to Bush. Bush was also a mother to three additional children.
The body of Bush was discovered in a different location. Authorities in Arkansas have confirmed that the cause of death for the baby was a gunshot wound. However, both police and prosecutors have chosen not to disclose any further details regarding the incident.
Jamie Waterman, the husband of Waterman, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact, accused of assisting in the disposal of Bush’s body. The trial has been set for October.
Source: ABC News
