Convicted Killer Who Kidnapped Pregnant Mother, Cut Baby from Womb Faces Death Penalty After Appeal Fails
Share this @internewscast.com

A woman convicted of murder will now face the death penalty after Arkansas’ highest court turned down an appeal that cited double jeopardy. She had enticed a pregnant woman with the intention of taking her baby through gruesome means.

As reported by Law & Crime, the Arkansas Supreme Court decided last week against Amber Waterman’s appeal. They concluded that her federal convictions for kidnapping do not preclude the state from pursuing murder charges linked to the 2022 killings of 33-year-old Ashley Bush and her unborn child, Valkyrie Grace Willis.

Last year, Waterman admitted her guilt to charges of kidnapping that resulted in death and for causing the death of an unborn child. A federal court sentenced her to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Arkansas now plans to try Waterman on two counts of premeditated and deliberate capital murder.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Bush was 31 weeks pregnant when Waterman killed her. Prosecutors said the death occurred near Waterman’s Pineville residence on November 3, 2022.

Waterman lured Bush in by using a fake online persona and arranging to help Bush find a job.

On October 31, 2022, Waterman met Bush under the ruse that she was going to introduce her to someone who could help her secure employment.

Bush’s fiancé, Joshua Willis, the baby’s father, dropped Bush off at a convenience store where she met Waterman, and the two women left in the same vehicle together. Bush then texted Willis that she was en route back to the store around 3 p.m.

Willis was waiting at the store when he saw Bush and Waterman pass by in the vehicle. Willis attempted to contact Bush, and his calls were routed to voicemail, leading him to report her missing around 6:30 p.m.

Bush’s body was found two days later near Waterman’s property in Missouri. Her unborn child was found deceased in a separate location.

“At about 5 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2022, first responders reported to the Longview store in Pineville for an emergency call of a baby who was not breathing,” prosecutors wrote.

“Waterman admitted that she claimed to first responders that she had given birth to the child in the truck while on the way to the hospital. But in reality, she admitted, the child was Bush’s child, who died in utero, as a result of Waterman’s kidnapping that resulted in the death of Bush.”

On Monday, Waterman’s lawyers filed two motions in Benton, Arkansas. One motion requested a mental evaluation to assess whether she is competent to stand trial. The other motion is pushing to block the prosecution from referencing her federal case or using any statements she made during federal proceedings.

A pretrial hearing is set for July 7. Check back for updates.

[Feature Photos: Amber Waterman, left/McDonald County Sheriff’s Office and Ashley Bush/Facebook]

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Tragic Incident: Woman Allegedly Shoots Neighbor and Engages in Disturbing Act

Background: The Lacy Lakeview, Texas, home where Angie Moore was killed in…

Homeless Woman Taken into Custody for Alleged Pickup Truck Vandalism in Alachua

By Staff ALACHUA, Fla. – A woman named Janelle-Joy Alexandra Summers, aged…

Cryptic Lipstick Message Discovered at Homicide Scene

On December 10, 1945, detectives arrived at a murder scene to discover…

Tragic Case: Mother and Boyfriend Face Murder Charges Following Toddler’s Death After Life Support Removal

A Texas mother and her boyfriend now face capital murder charges in…

Injured Man Rushed to City Hospital After Suffering Gunshot and Stab Wounds

A major search operation is currently unfolding in south-west Sydney following an…

Tragic Tale: How a Family’s Pit Bull Turned from Beloved Pet to Danger in Weeks

In a significant development on Monday, Oklahoma prosecutors announced that they have…

Heart-Wrenching Confrontation: A Mother’s Quest for Justice Against Her Son’s Killer

When Julie Szabo agreed to let her son attend his first sleepover,…

Tragic Loss: Beloved Grandmother Fatally Stabbed in Her Cherished Pajamas

Background: Antonio Brown in court on Dec. 8 (WAGA). Inset: Eleanor “Ellen”…

Justice Served: Sentencing of the ‘Pathetic’ Killers in Jeweler Grandpa’s Tragic Case

Left: Carlos Hernandez. Right: Joshua Zuazo (WJBK/YouTube). Inset: Hussein Murray (Instagram). In…

Inside the Disturbing Obsession: Unraveling the Stalker Case Involving Radio Icon Jackie O

A man struggling with mental illness developed an obsessive belief that he…

Judge Condemns ‘Gutless Coward’ in Scathing Verdict for Toyah Cordingley Murder Case

Rajwinder Singh, who brutally ended Toyah Cordingley’s life on a secluded beach,…

Tragic Stabbing Incident Claims Student’s Life at North Carolina High School

A tragic altercation at a North Carolina high school on Tuesday morning…