Amber Waterman, 44, has been sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole for the brutal kidnapping and murder of Ashley Bush in October 2022, via CBS News. The sentencing took place in Springfield, Missouri, on Tuesday, with the two life sentences set to be served concurrently.
Waterman, a resident of Pineville, Missouri, pleaded guilty on July 30 to kidnapping resulting in death and causing the death of Bush’s unborn child. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, Waterman admitted that she kidnapped Bush with the intention of claiming her unborn child as her own.
Waterman lured Bush by posing as someone offering a job, using a false name on Facebook to communicate with her. They first met at a public library in Gravette on October 28, 2022, and planned to meet again three days later. On October 31, Bush met Waterman at a convenience store in Maysville, where Waterman pretended she would take her to meet a supervisor to discuss employment.
Instead, Waterman kidnapped Bush and took her to her home in Pineville. Later that day, emergency responders were called to a store in Pineville after a report of a baby not breathing. Waterman claimed she had given birth in the car on the way to the hospital. However, she later admitted that the baby was Bush’s, who had died in utero as a result of the kidnapping and the fatal trauma inflicted on Bush.
Autopsy results revealed that Ashley Bush died from penetrating trauma to her torso, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Federal statutes mandated life sentences without parole for both charges. Waterman is still facing additional charges in Benton County, including two counts of capital murder and one count of kidnapping. The Benton County Prosecutor’s Office has indicated that the state is seeking the death penalty, though that case is currently on hold due to double jeopardy concerns.
Following the sentencing, Benton County Prosecutor Joshua Robinson stated, “I am glad that the Defendant has received some level of accountability and that the family of the victims is one step closer to finality in the criminal justice system.”
Waterman’s husband, Jamie, is also involved in the case and is scheduled for a plea change hearing. This tragic case has left a deep impact on the community, as justice continues to be pursued for the victims.