Woman pleads guilty to murdering Arkansas woman, cutting out her unborn baby

BENTON CO., Ark. (KATV) — A Missouri woman pleaded guilty to state charges in the murder of a Benton County woman and her unborn child on Wednesday.

Judge Brad Karren accepted Waterman’s plea of guilty on two counts of capital murder during a court hearing, our ABC affiliate 40/29 News reported.

As part of her plea agreement, Waterman was required to provide more information to prosecutors and investigators to fill in the gaps with their investigation.

Law enforcement says Waterman lured 33-year-old Ashley Bush to a fake job interview in October 2022, where she shot her, cut the baby from her womb, and tried to burn her body in Missouri. The Department of Justice said Waterman planned to claim Bush’s baby as her own.

Waterman has been sentenced to two counts of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The sentences will be served consecutively, after her federal sentence.

Bush’s family read impact statements during the hearing, 40/29 News reported.

“We are showing Amber Waterman the mercy she never showed Ashley or Valkyrie”, Bush’s cousin, Lainey Boone, said. Waterman chose not to speak during the hearing.