Amber Waterman to be sentenced for killing pregnant woman

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The woman who pleaded guilty of kidnapping and murdering a Benton County woman in 2022 will be sentenced in federal court tomorrow.

Court records show Amber Waterman pleaded guilty in July to kidnapping resulting in death and causing the death of an unborn child. Amber Waterman will appear for sentencing at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Her co-defendant and husband, Jamie, will also appear that day at 1:30 p.m. for a change of plea hearing.

A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri said that by pleading guilty, Amber Waterman admitted to kidnapping Ashley Bush so she could claim Bush’s unborn child as her own.

Autopsy results showed Bush died as a result of penetrating trauma to her torso and the death was ruled a homicide.

“Under federal statutes, (Amber) Waterman is subject to a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison without parole on each count,” the press release said.

Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Robinson had said that the government is seeking the death penalty against Amber Waterman.

Amber Waterman’s attorney has asked Benton County to drop the charges against her from Arkansas.

Her attorneys want the charges dismissed because of the double jeopardy issue.

An indictment said in October 2022, Jamie Waterman helped Amber Waterman after she kidnapped Bush , knowing his wife had committed a crime. He is charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact of kidnapping resulting in death.

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