Amber Waterman: Suspected ‘womb raider’ pleads NOT guilty to murdering pregnant Ashley Bush to steal baby
BENTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS: A Missouri woman who was arrested in connection with a kidnapping and murder of a pregnant Arkansas woman has pleaded not guilty. Amber Waterman, 42, was charged Friday, December 2, with kidnapping resulting in the death of 33-year-old Ashley Bush, who was found near Waterman's home on November 3.
Bush's tragic death comes after Waterman lured the 33-year-old by using 'Lucy' as a pseudonym and a phony job interview posting in an attempt to steal her baby. According to court documents, Waterman and her husband Jamie, 42, allegedly abducted Bush "for the purpose and benefit of claiming Ashley Bush's child as the defendant's child."
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'Lucy' aka Waterman met at an Arkansas library on October 28 where she offered to connect the victim with someone who could get her a job. On October 31, they decided to meet again at a convenience store, where Bush believed she would go with Lucy to meet a supposed boss in Bentonville, about 13 miles away from the store and 25 miles from where the Watermans live in Missouri, reported Daily Mail. Bush was reportedly dropped by her fiance, Joshua Willis, who saw her leave with the woman he had seen meeting with Bush at the library.
Around 3 pm Bush texted her fiance saying she was in Gravette and on her way back to Handi-Mart so she could be picked up. But when the truck Willis saw Bush get into drove by, it drove past the store, onto a local highway due north. Willis said, “I hollered at her because her windows cracked, so I know she heard me." "This ‘Lucy’ lady looks over at me, looks back straight ahead at the windshield and drives off," Meaww previously reported. Willis continued to try and contact his fiancee, but his calls kept going to voicemail. He then reported her missing by 6.30 pm.
On November 2, Bush's unborn baby named Valkyrie Grace Willis was found dead in a separate location. The next day police discovered Bush's body and claimed she died from an apparent gunshot wound. Social media sleuths discovered suspect Waterman posting photos of ultrasound, appearing to indicate she was pregnant on Facebook in the months leading up to the murder. In addition to other charges, Waterman is also accused of having transported Bush across state lines from Arkansas to Missouri. Waterman's husband Jamie has been charged with being an accessory and he too has not pleaded guilty.
Waterman waived a formal reading of the indictment against her and made her not guilty plea in federal court, reported the source. A US Attorney for the district said that suspect Waterman could face the death penalty if found guilty. Officials have also suggested that Watermans will likely face overlapping charges in multiple states given the nature of their offenses. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for December 14 with the federal trial set to start on December 14.