Amber Waterman, Kidnapping and Murder, Missouri 2022

State: Missouri
Category: Violent Crime
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/pineville-couple-charged-kidnapping-murder-pregnant-arkansas-woman" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A chilling crime has shaken the community of Pineville, Missouri, as a couple has been charged in the kidnapping and murder of a pregnant Arkansas woman.

Ashley Bush, 31 weeks pregnant, was reported missing on Monday, October 31. Her fiancé told law enforcement that he saw her being driven as a passenger in a pickup truck by a woman he knew as ‘Lucy.’

Detectives with the Benton County, Arkansas, Sheriff’s Department examined Ashley Bush’s phone and found the Facebook account for ‘Lucy.’ They traced the account to Jamie Waterman, and learned from examining Ashley Bush’s Google records that she had traveled to Pineville, approximately 0.15 miles from the Watermans’ residence.

Amber Waterman, 42, was charged with one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The federal criminal complaint alleges that, between October 31 and November 2, 2022, Amber Waterman kidnapped Ashley Bush in order to claim her unborn child as her own.

Jamie Waterman, 42, was charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping resulting in death. The federal criminal complaint alleges that he assisted Amber Waterman in order to hinder and prevent her apprehension, trial, and punishment, knowing she had committed the offense of kidnapping resulting in death.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaints, Amber Waterman adopted the false online persona of ‘Lucy’ in order to meet Ashley Bush, then lured her to meet a second time to give her a ride to a purported job interview. Instead, the affidavit says, Amber Waterman killed Ashley Bush.

The Watermans remain in federal custody pending detention hearings, which have not yet been scheduled.

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