- By Shivangi Sharma
- Wed, 14 May 2025 10:11 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a chilling case, Amber Waterman of Missouri could face the death penalty after the Arkansas Supreme Court dismissed her appeal on the grounds of double jeopardy. Waterman, already serving two life sentences, is now being pursued by Benton County prosecutors for capital murder.
The horrifying incident occurred in October 2022, when 42-year-old Waterman lured 33-year-old Ashley Bush, a pregnant woman from Benton County, Arkansas, through a fake job offer on Facebook. Bush, who was 31 weeks pregnant, believed she was meeting a potential employer and got into Waterman’s truck for an alleged interview in Bentonville. Waterman kidnapped Bush and drove her across state lines to her home in Pineville, Missouri.
Gruesome Killing And Foetus Extraction
Once at her residence, Waterman shot Bush and then gruesomely removed her unborn baby from the womb. Investigators say she planned to pass the baby off as her own. She later attempted to burn Bush’s body with the help of her husband, Jamie Waterman.
Later that evening, Waterman called emergency services, falsely claiming she had just given birth in her vehicle. However, the baby, named Valkyrie Willis, was already deceased, and an autopsy confirmed the child had died as a result of the violent kidnapping that caused Bush’s death.
Federal Charges And Life Sentences
On July 30, 2024, Waterman pleaded guilty in federal court to kidnapping resulting in death and causing the death of a child in utero. She was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Despite this, Arkansas prosecutors filed separate capital murder charges, supported by Bush’s grieving family.
Waterman’s legal team argued the state case constituted double jeopardy, prosecution for the same crime twice. But the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled otherwise, asserting the federal and state jurisdictions can operate independently. This decision paves the way for Benton County to proceed with a capital trial that could result in the death penalty.
