Mo. Woman Admits Twisted Scheme of Luring Pregnant Woman, Then Murdering Her So She Could Steal Baby

A Missouri woman has pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering a pregnant woman from Arkansas after luring her with a fake job opportunity.

On Tuesday, July 30, a press release from the United States District Attorney’s Western District of Missouri stated that the suspect Amber Waterman, 44, has pleaded guilty in federal court for the kidnapping and tragic death of victim Ashley Bush and her unborn child Valkyrie Willis.

The suspect admitted they got into contact with victim Ashley Bush, who was roughly 31 weeks pregnant at the time, through Facebook by pretending that she had a job opportunity, according to the press release. 

The two met at a public library in Gravette, Ark., on October 28, 2022, and then again, three days later around noon, at a nearby convenience store. During the second encounter, Waterman convinced Bush to get in the truck under the guise of taking her to meet a supervisor.

Instead, Waterman kidnapped Bush and drove to her residence in the small town of Pineville, Mo., the press release states.

Later that evening, first responders received a call to assist a baby who was not breathing.

Waterman admitted to telling the officers that she had given birth to the baby in the truck while on her way to the hospital when they arrived at the scene, when in fact, the baby was Bush’s child who died in utero when she was kidnapped, per the press release.

The U.S. Attorney's Office reported that Waterman has plead guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of thereby causing the death of a child in utero.

"This horrific crime resulted in the tragic deaths of two innocent victims," U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore said in a statement in the press release. "Today’s guilty plea holds this defendant accountable for her actions and ensures that justice will be served."

Per the press release, the Bush's dead has been ruled a homicide and her autopsy states that she “died as a result of penetrating trauma of the torso."

Now, Waterman faces a life sentence in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 15, 2024.

In November 2022, the Benton Country Sheriff's Office reported that Bush's charred remains were found in Missouri. The body of her unborn child was found the day prior at a separate location.

According to federal complaints obtained by PEOPLE, Waterman created her fake Facebook account under the name "Lucy Burrows" and offered free baby clothes to expectant mothers. She allegedly used the fictitious name to communicate with Bush.

Bush's fiancé, Joshua Willis, told police that he went to pick up Bush from her convenience store meeting with Waterman and saw the two women driving away in a tan truck. Bush did not answer multiple phone calls, and her phone was later found on the shoulder of a highway.

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Police eventually traced the fake Facebook profile to Waterman's residence.