Judge sentences southwest Missouri woman to life in prison for kidnapping, murdering pregnant woman and unborn child

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Edited News Release/KY3) – A judge ordered a Pineville, Mo. woman. convicted in federal court of the kidnapping and murder of a pregnant Arkansas woman and her victim’s unborn child.

Amber Waterman, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to two consecutive life sentences in federal prison without parole.

On July 30, 2024, Amber Waterman pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death, and one count of causing the death of a child in utero. Waterman admitted to kidnapping Ashley Bush to claim her unborn child, Valkyrie Willis, as her own. Waterman transported Ashley Bush from Maysville, Ark., to Pineville. The kidnapping resulted in the deaths of both Ashley Bush and Valkyrie Willis.

Her husband, Jamie Waterman, 44, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to aiding and abetting the kidnapping that resulted in death. Jamie Waterman admitted that he knew that Amber Waterman had kidnapped Bush, resulting in the death of her unborn child, and that he provided assistance to hinder or prevent the apprehension, trial and punishment of Amber Waterman.

Amber Waterman contacted Bush, who was about 31 weeks pregnant, via Facebook under an assumed name. Amber Waterman pretended to help Bush find work, implying she had a job for her. That prompted an in-person meeting between the two women on Oct. 28, 2022, at the Gravette, Ark. Public Library. They agreed to meet again on October 31, 2022.

On October 31, 2022, at approximately 11:45 a.m., Bush met with Amber Waterman at the Handi-Stop grocery store in Maysville, Ark. Under the pretense that Amber Waterman was taking her to a supervisor to further discuss employment, Bush was taken into a truck driven by Amber Waterman. Amber Waterman then kidnapped Bush and took her from Maysville to the Waterman residence in Pineville.

According to court documents, Amber Waterman led Jamie Waterman to Bush’s body. Jamie Waterman helped hide and dispose of the body.

On October 31, 2022 at approximately 5:00 PM, first responders reported to the Longview store in Pineville for a 911 call of an infant who was not breathing. Amber Waterman admitted to claiming to emergency workers that she gave birth to the child in the truck while on her way to the hospital. But in reality, she admitted, the child was Bush’s child, who died in utero as a result of the kidnapping of Amber Waterman that resulted in Bush’s death.

An autopsy revealed that Bush died as a result of penetrating trauma to the torso, and her death was classified as a homicide.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie L. Wan and James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI, the Benton County, Ark., Sheriff’s Department, and the McDonald County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Arkansas and the Benton County, Ark., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Dept. Office.

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