What we know 1 year after the suspected murder of Arkansas woman and her unborn child
Police believe an Arkansas woman, pregnant and hopeful for a job, was kidnapped and killed by a stranger she met online with a motive to take her unborn child.
Ashley Bush was 31 weeks pregnant on Oct. 31, 2022, when authorities say a Missouri woman kidnapped her from a gas station in Benton County— planning to claim Bush's unborn daughter as her own. Days later, Bush and her unborn baby were found dead.
Authorities confirmed a few days after Bush was reported missing she and her unborn baby daughter had been found dead in separate areas in Missouri. In the same announcement, officials confirmed the arrest of Amber and Jamie Waterman, a couple living in McDonald County, Missouri, in connection to the deaths.
One year later as the story behind the kidnapping and alleged murder of Ashley Bush and her unborn daughter continues to unfold, we've developed a timeline of events that led to the arrests of the Missouri couple, and where the case stands today.
Oct. 25, 2022 The Fake Account
Investigators have accused Amber Waterman of creating a fake Facebook account under the name of "Lucy Barrows" on Oct. 25, 2022, to lure Bush into meeting her for a job interview.
Josh Willis, Bush's fiancé, said the mother of three—soon to be four— had complications during her pregnancy.
"She had been having complications with the pregnancy and the doctor took her off work," he said in an interview after Bush was reported missing. He said that's when Bush started looking for a work-from-home job in a Facebook group for moms.
A few days later on Oct. 28, Bush and Willis met "Lucy" at the Gravette Public Library to talk about a potential job opening. During that meeting, "Lucy" mentioned she had baby supplies she could give the family.
Willis said he felt uneasy about the situation.
"She handed Ashley a bunch of paperwork, that they would email her, and told her to wait for the boss to contact her for another interview."
The next steps, according to Willis, were for Bush to travel with "Lucy" to Bentonville for an interview with the boss.
Oct. 31, 2022 The Disappearance
Willis told 5NEWS that he dropped Bush off at the Handi-Stop in Maysville, Arkansas on the morning of Monday, Oct. 31. He said he went to pick her up at around 3 p.m. that same day.
The last time Willis says he heard from his fiancé was when he received a text from her saying she was in Gravette and he could come to pick her up.
"All I saw was her and the lady she rode with both pass me, neither one stopped, the driver looked at me and kept going," he said.
Willis says he tried following the truck but lost it heading north on Hwy. 43. He and his family quickly started searching for Bush.
"We tried all night long texting her, calling her, trying to get her to answer," he said.
The family started calling to learn more about "Lucy" and the company she allegedly worked for. Willis said the company told him there is nobody by the name of Lucy who works for the company.
While Bush's loved ones searched for her and answers for her disappearance, Amber Waterman was back in Missouri.
Oct. 31 Missouri
According to an arrest affidavit, Amber told detectives she had been home all day on Oct. 31 when she "went into labor" that afternoon. After calling 911, Amber traveled to meet an ambulance at a store in McDonald County, Mo. Amber told detectives she had delivered a stillborn child that evening.
McDonald County Coroner BJ Goodwin was called to take the baby to an area funeral home after EMS was unable to revive her. Goodwin said Amber allegedly had the placenta in her pants when EMS showed up but refused medical treatment.
While the baby was taken to the funeral home, the placenta was retrieved from Amber. Goodwin later told 5NEWS that it appeared the baby was "cut out" of the mother.
Nov. 1, 2022 Police Question the Watermans
On Nov. 1, detectives met with the Watermans who let them search the home and the tan-colored truck, matching the description of the one Bush was last seen in, according to prosecutors.
When detectives asked for Amber's phone, she told them that she had lost it. She also told investigators that she was the only person who had access to the tan-colored truck.
When asked if she had known about Bush, Amber told detectives she didn't know her. Investigators say when they asked her about "Lucy Barrows," Amber said she previously had worked with her at Walmart but they were not close.
According to reports, on the same day, the Watermans went to the funeral home to plan a memorial ceremony for the baby scheduled for two days later. Coroner Goodwin said they'd wanted to cremate the baby's remains.
Nov. 2, 2022 The Memorial Service
Goodwin said the memorial service for the baby was scheduled for 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2. He said that morning the Benton County Coroner called asking for a DNA swab from the baby.
Goodwin alleges the Watermans tried to dispose of Bush’s body the same day they showed up for the baby’s memorial service. "They got cleaned up after burning and disposing of [Bush's] body and showed up for a funeral," he said.
He says the funeral was exactly what you would expect of parents who lost a child. Goodwin said nothing was out of the ordinary at the time and less than a dozen people were there.
Goodwin said the baby was a "beautiful" girl and that Amber was a "cold-blooded killer" and a "good actor."
According to Goodwin, the Benton County Coroner arrived after the memorial service to take the baby for an autopsy. Goodwin says the Waterman’s demeanor changed when they found out an autopsy would be performed, and Amber allegedly asked multiple times if DNA tests would be performed. Goodwin said as soon as Jamie heard that, he “got up and ran out of the funeral home.”
“Hands down craziest things I have ever dealt with as a coroner for 16 years," Goodwin said.
Nov. 3, 2022 The Confession
Search warrants were obtained on Thursday, Nov. 3, for the Waterman's vehicle and home. During the search, detectives found what they believed to be blood stains on the inside of the vehicle.
When detectives questioned Jamie on Nov. 3, he told detectives that after police had left their home the first time, Amber told him she had killed Bush, but allegedly quickly changed her story, saying “Lucy” had killed her.
Court records state Amber led Jamie to Bush's body, which was found next to a boat near their house, covered in a blue tarp.
Amber removed a ring from Bush’s finger and rolled her body onto the blue tarp, the affidavit says, which Jamie then dragged to a fire pit behind the home. The Watermans allegedly burned the body, moved it onto the bed of Jamie's blue GMC pickup, and drove a short distance from their home to hide the body.
The Watermans were arrested on Nov. 3.
Present Charges ongoing
On Nov. 16, the Watermans were indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in the kidnapping and murder of Bush.
Amber and Jamie Waterman were charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Missouri.
The two will remain in federal custody.
Amber was charged with one count of kidnapping resulting in death, along with one count of causing the death of an unborn child.
Jamie Waterman is charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping resulting in death. The indictment alleges that he assisted Amber, in "hindering and preventing her apprehension, trial, and punishment," knowing she had committed the kidnapping.
The joint trial has been pushed to June 2024.
Joshua Robinson, interim Benton County prosecutor said that delays for a case like this aren't unusual.
“Continuances in any case, especially one of this magnitude, are common," said Robinson. “Cases like this, where the outcome is so serious, you want to be sure that everybody has time to properly prepare for trial, and that the defendants and attorneys have time to do a proper investigation.”
Robinson confirmed they will seek the death penalty for Waterman. “When the case comes to us from the federal system, we do still plan to seek death."
5NEWS will continue to follow this story as it develops.
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