This is a truly horrific case out of Benton County, Arkansas, involving premeditated murder and a gruesome attempt to steal a victim’s unborn child. Here’s a clear breakdown of the key details from the sentencing and background.
Crime Timeline
- Initial Lure (Oct 28, 2022): Amber Dawn Waterman, 45, posed as “Lucy” on Facebook to contact 33-year-old Ashley Bush, who was 31 weeks pregnant. She offered Bush a fake work-from-home job, starting with a meeting at a Gravette library.
- Kidnapping (Oct 31, 2022): Bush entered Waterman’s truck at a Maysville convenience store under the pretense of meeting a supervisor. Waterman drove her to her Pineville home.
- Murders: Waterman shot Bush (cause: penetrating torso trauma), cut out the fetus (named Valkyrie Grace Willis by family), and tried to burn Bush’s body. The baby died in utero.
- Cover-Up Attempt: Waterman called 911 claiming she’d given birth in her truck at a Pineville store; autopsy exposed the truth.
Legal Outcome
Waterman pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of capital murder, avoiding the death penalty prosecutors sought. Judge Brad Karren sentenced her to two consecutive life terms without parole in state prison—stacked on top of her July 2024 federal sentences for kidnapping resulting in death and interstate fetal homicide.
The Arkansas Supreme Court cleared the state case under double jeopardy rules. As part of the deal, she’ll provide more crime details for victim family closure.
Victim Impact and Community Response
Bush’s family shared raw statements during sentencing, emphasizing her dream of motherhood and rejecting the plea as “mercy.” Benton County Sheriff’s Office called it one of their most “tragic and heinous” cases, scarring the community.
For official sources, check Benton County court records or the U.S. Attorney’s Office release on the federal plea. Cases like this highlight Arkansas’s strict fetal personhood laws (since 2019), treating unborn children as murder victims from conception in homicide statutes.
