SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The case of Ashley Bush's kidnapping and murder is one step closer to being closed after Amber Waterman was sentenced and her husband, Jamie, pleaded guilty to his involvement on Oct. 15.
Amber received two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, and Jamie changed his plea to guilty for being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping resulting in death.
Before Amber's sentencing, several members of Ashley's family read letters to the judge asking for the highest possible sentencing.
Although the family's fight for justice is still not over, Tuesday's court proceedings brought them a partial sense of closure amid the loss of their loved one.
"This is the beginning of moving forward, a beginning of a new chapter, and we're just hoping to close it as soon as we can and get back to living our lives," Ashley's cousin Lainey Boone said.
Still, there has been irreparable damage done to the family.
"There's been a void that can't be filled anymore," Boone said. "We still gather as a family and enjoy our time together, but there's always that lingering, 'Oh, they should both be here with us.'"
With this void, they are looking for ways to memorialize Ashley.
"Ashley's favorite flower was the sunflower, and therefore yellow is our color that we will always remember and honor Ashley with," Ashley's aunt Cyndi Copher said.
Though one step closer to being closed, the case still needs to unfold at the state level in Arkansas where Amber still faces charges.
"As we move forward, we will search and we will seek the maximum of justice for the next stage of where our fight will take us," Copher said.
The family hopes Ashley's story will help women be more cautious and skeptical of strangers. According to an indictment, Amber created a fake Facebook account under the name Lucy Barrows and told Ashley that she could help her get a job and drive her to an interview. Once Bush was dropped off at a gas station in Maysville by family, Amber kidnapped Ashley and drove her to her home in Pineville, Missouri.
"Trusting people can lead to good things many times, but trusting people should not be given easily, that allowing trust should be earned, and vetting people should be very, very taken seriously," Copher said.
Amber is set to appear in Benton County court for the state case on Oct. 28.
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