A woman has been federally charged for allegedly luring a pregnant woman with a fake online job post and then killing her. The defendant, identified as Amber Waterman, is now facing prosecution for causing the death of the unborn child as well.
The murder of Ashley Bush, the victim, has been described as an unprecedented and horrifying crime by law enforcement officials in Arkansas. The incident unfolded when Waterman, operating under the online pseudonym “Lucy Barrows,” created a fictitious job post on Facebook, leading to a fatal encounter.
Factual Rewrite: Amber Waterman, 43, and her husband Jamie Waterman, 43, were charged on Tuesday in a superseding indictment by the Western District of Missouri. The couple is accused of planning to take the unborn child of Ashley Bush, 33, as their own. Amber Waterman, using the alias “Lucy Barrows,” enticed Bush with a fake job offer on Facebook.
Bush was 31 weeks pregnant when the attack took place. She met “Barrows” at a library in Gravette, Arkansas, before agreeing to meet at a convenience store in Maysville. Unfortunately, this would be the last time Bush’s fiancée, Joshua Willis, saw her alive.
According to federal authorities, Bush believed she would be traveling with “Lucy” to Bentonville to meet a supervisor and then be returned to the convenience store. However, Bush never returned, prompting Willis to report her missing. Tragically, investigators later discovered that Bush had been shot and killed, and her body burned.
The baby was found in a separate location, leading the McDonald County Coroner to suggest that the child had been forcibly removed from the mother’s womb.
Benton County Sheriff Shawn Holloway and Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Nathan Smith expressed their shock and disbelief at the heinous crime. Amber Waterman had previously pleaded not guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death, while Jamie Waterman pleaded not guilty to being an accessory after the fact.
As the legal proceedings unfold, authorities are determined to seek justice for Ashley Bush and her unborn child, Valkyrie Grace Willis.