Missouri woman confesses to abduction and murder of pregnant Arkansas woman

A woman from Missouri has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after confessing in court to kidnapping and killing a pregnant woman from Arkansas in order to take her baby. Amber Waterman, 44, of Pineville, Missouri, pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping resulting in death and causing the death of a child in utero at the U.S. District Court in Springfield. The sentencing is set for October 15th.

Waterman revealed that she used a fake identity to contact Ashley Bush of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, through Facebook. Bush, who was 31 weeks pregnant, agreed to meet Waterman at an Arkansas convenience store under the pretense of discussing a job opportunity. Instead, Waterman took Bush to her home in Pineville.

Authorities were called to Waterman’s residence later that day after reports of a baby not breathing. Tragically, the baby was pronounced dead. Initially, Waterman claimed to have given birth to the child, but in her plea, she admitted the baby belonged to Bush, who was a mother of three other children. Bush’s body was discovered at a different location, with Arkansas officials determining she died from a gunshot wound.

Additionally, Waterman’s husband, Jamie Waterman, faces charges of being an accessory after the fact for his alleged involvement in disposing of Bush’s body. His trial is scheduled for October.