A woman accused of kidnapping and murdering a 31-weeks pregnant woman and her unborn baby has changed her plea to guilty.
Amber Waterman, 44, did so Tuesday after her trial was set for Oct. 21 in Springfield, Missouri. She pleaded guilty to kidnapping resulting in death and causing the death of a fetus, according to documents filed in federal court.
Waterman had originally pleaded not guilty to those charges along with her husband and alleged accomplice Jamie, after facing multiple delays.
The couple kidnapped Ashley Bush, 33, who was found near Waterman’s home on Nov. 3, 2022. The remains of the fetus, named Valkyrie Grace Willis by Bush’s father and fiancé Joshua Willis, were found nearby.
Prosecutors said the couple kidnapped Bush “for the purpose and benefit of claiming the child as” their own.
Amber Waterman, 44, changed her plea to guilty on Tuesday after her trial was scheduled for Oct. 21 in Springfield, Missouri.
She pleaded guilty to kidnapping Ashley Bush, 33, in October 2021, causing her death and causing the death of her unborn child. Prosecutors said she was 31 weeks pregnant at the time.
“This horrific crime resulted in the tragic deaths of two innocent victims,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore, as Waterman faces a harsh sentence.
“Today’s guilty plea holds this defendant accountable for her actions and ensures that justice will be served,” the lawyer said.
‘She is now subject to a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison without parole.’
The incident occurred nearly two years after Waterman, who met the victim on Facebook, pleaded not guilty for the first time in federal court.
At the time, Benton County officials said Waterman had lured Bush to his residence with a fake job interview posting, when the pregnant victim was looking for a job where she could work from home.
“Lucy” – the pseudonym used by Waterman – met Bush at an Arkansas library on Oct. 28 of that year, under the pretext that she would connect the victim with someone who could get her a job, prosecutors said.
They made plans to meet again at a convenience store on October 31, 2022, and Bush believed he would go with ‘Lucy’ to meet the alleged boss about 13 miles away, 25 miles from where the Watermans live in Missouri.
That day, her fiancé, Joshua, dropped Bush off at the store. He later told police he saw her leave with the woman he had seen meeting his fiancée days earlier.
Waterman had originally pleaded not guilty to those charges along with her husband and alleged accomplice Jamie (pictured, after facing multiple delays).
Bush was dropped off at the store by her fiancé, Joshua. He later told police he saw her leave with the woman he had seen meeting his fiancée days earlier. She, as well as her unborn child, were found dead two days later.
Bush would text Willis around 3 p.m., telling her he was returning to the store, prosecutors and investigators agreed.
But when the truck Willis saw Bush get into pulled over and headed north onto a local road, Willis immediately became suspicious.
He recognized the truck and that “Lucy” was driving it, which led him to continue trying to communicate with his fiancée.
After repeatedly listening to her answering machine, she reported her missing at 6:30 p.m.
Two days later, Bush was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound, and her unborn child was found outside the womb nearby.
The feds soon discovered that Bush had been kidnapped by Waterman, before being taken to the woman’s residence in Pineville, Missouri.
At around 5pm on 2 November 2021, emergency services responded to a call about a baby not breathing at a shop in the city. Upon being arrested, Waterman told officers she had given birth to the child in the vehicle on the way to the hospital.
“But in reality, he admitted, the child was Bush’s son, who died in utero, as a result of the Waterman kidnapping that resulted in Bush’s death,” said a press release announcing his recent change of heart.
Autopsy results would show that Bush died as a result of penetrating trauma to the torso — clearly a homicide, investigators said.
Bush died as a result of penetrating trauma to the torso — undoubtedly a homicide, investigators said.
Amber’s sentencing is set for October 15 at 11 a.m. No new hearings or change of plea papers have been filed for Jamie, and his trial date is still set for October 21.
“Under federal statutes, Waterman is subject to a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison without parole for each count,” the statement said.
‘The defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.’
As for Jamie, who police said helped Amber after she kidnapped Bush knowing she had committed a crime, he is charged with one count of being an accessory to kidnapping resulting in death.
No new hearings or change-of-plea documents have been filed for Jamie, and his trial date remains set for October 21.
Amber’s sentencing has been set for October 15 at 11 a.m., where a judge will decide her fate.