Pineville woman ordered held without bond for kidnapping, murder of pregnant Arkansas woman

A Pineville woman charged with kidnapping and murdering a pregnant Arkansas woman will be held without bond while awaiting trial.

The decision to deny bond to Amber Waterman, 42, was made during a hearing this morning in U. S. District Court in Springfield.

Her alleged crimes were detailed in a news release from the U. S. Attorney's office:

Amber Waterman is charged with one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The federal criminal complaint alleges that, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, 2022, Amber Waterman kidnapped Ashley Bush, who was approximately 31 weeks pregnant, in order to claim her unborn child as her own. She allegedly transported Ashley Bush from Maysville, Arkansas, to Pineville, resulting in her death.

The bond hearing for Waterman's husband, Jamie Waterman, who is charged with being an accessory after the fact is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday in Springfield.