Woman Who Admitted to Kidnapping Mom-to-Be, Trying to Cut Fetus to 'Claim' as Her Own Sentenced

News By TooFab Staff |
McDonald County Detention Center / Benton County Sheriff's Office

33-year-old Ashley Bush and her unborn daughter, who she had already named Valkyrie, were both killed after Amber Waterman allegedly lured the pregnant woman to her home by pretending to have a work-from-home job opportunity.

A Missouri woman who admitted to a violently failed attempt to steal a pregnant woman's baby so she could "claim" as her own will spend the rest of her life in prison.

Amber Waterman (above center) was given two consecutive life sentences in a Springfield court hearing on Tuesday for the brutal murders of pregnant, 33-year-old Ashley Bush (above left) and her unborn daughter -- who she had already named Valkyrie -- according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri. There's no possibility for parole.

In July, Waterman formally pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of causing the death of a child in utero.

Her husband, Jamie Waterman (below right), was also charged with accessory after the fact to the kidnapping resulting in death in the case. Though he initially pleaded not guilty, the same press release says he formally changed his plea to guilty on Tuesday.

How Ashley Bush Died

Per a press release from federal prosecutors, Amber first made contact with Bush when she was 31 weeks pregnant. Amber, using the name "Lucy" online, pretended to have a job offer for Ashley, luring her to an in-person meeting under pretense of a "job interview."

The two first met on October 28, 2022 at the Gravette Public Library in Gravette, Arkansas and later agreed to meet again on October 31.

"On Oct. 31, 2022, at roughly 11:45 a.m., Bush met Waterman at the Handi-Stop convenience store in Maysville, [Arkansas]" wrote prosecutors in their press release. "Under the pretext that Waterman was taking her to meet a supervisor to further discuss employment, Bush got into a truck driven by Waterman."

Amber then drove Ashley to her own residence in Pineville, Missouri. At 5 PM on that same day, "first responders reported to the Longview store in Pineville for an emergency call of a baby who was not breathing."

Waterman admitted to authorities later that she initially claimed to first responders "she had given birth to the child in the truck while on the way to the hospital," per the press release, but later confessed, "the child was Bush's child, who died in utero, as a result of Waterman's kidnapping that resulted in the death of Bush."

Per an autopsy, Ashley and her baby perished as a result of "penetrating trauma of the torso," referring to Amber allegedly attempting to cut the fetus from its mother, expecting she could keep it alive and claim it was hers. Ashley's death was classified as a homicide.

"By pleading guilty, Waterman admitted that she kidnapped Ashley Bush in order to claim her unborn child, Valkyrie Willis, as her own," added the release.

According to prosecutors, Jamie Waterman assisted his wife in attempting to cover up the crime, knowing full well what had happened to Bush.

He reportedly told authorities his wife showed him the victim's body, which was near their home, per the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and they burned the body and took the charred remains to another location.

He'll be sentenced at a later date.