Missouri woman slaughtered pregnant mom-of-three and stole baby from her body in horror attack

A Missouri woman, Amber Waterman, has admitted to the kidnapping and murder of a pregnant Arkansas woman in an attempt to claim her unborn child.

The 44-year-old from Pineville pleaded guilty to one count each of kidnapping resulting in death and causing the death of a child in utero in U.S. District Court in Springfield.

U. S. Attorney Teresa Moore confirmed that Waterman's mandatory sentence will be life imprisonment without parole, with formal sentencing set for Oct. 15.

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Waterman confessed to using a false identity to contact Ashley Bush, a 33-year-old woman from Siloam Springs, Arkansas, who was approximately 31 weeks pregnant at the time. Federal prosecutors revealed that under the pretence of helping Bush secure employment, Waterman lured her to a convenience store in Arkansas on Oct. 31, 2022, before driving her to her home in Pineville.

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Emergency services were later called to the property following reports of a baby not breathing. The infant was pronounced dead at the scene.

Initially, Waterman claimed she had given birth, but later admitted the baby was Bush's. Bush, who was also a mother to three other children, was found dead at a separate location.

Authorities in Arkansas reported she died from a gunshot wound, but further details regarding the baby's death have not been disclosed by police or prosecutors.

Waterman's spouse, Jamie Waterman, has been accused of being an accessory after the fact for allegedly assisting in disposing of Bush's body. His trial is set to take place in October.