Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Pineville man sentenced to 6 years, 3 months, for role in kidnapping, murder


A federal judge sentenced Jamie Waterman, 45, Pineville, to six years and three months in prison for being an accessory after the fact to the kidnapping and murder of Ashley Bush.

After Waterman completes his sentence, he will be supervised release for three years.

The kidnapping and murder were committed by Waterman's wife, Amber, 45, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced in October to two life sentences.







The crime was detailed in the news release issued by the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri in September following Jamie Waterman's guilty plea:

On July 30, 2024, Amber Waterman pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of thereby causing the death of a child in utero. Waterman admitted that she kidnapped Ashley Bush in order to claim her unborn child, Valkyrie Willis, as her own. Waterman transported Ashley Bush from Maysville, Ark., to Pineville. The kidnapping resulted in the deaths of both Ashley Bush and Valkyrie Willis.

Her husband, Jamie Waterman, 44, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of being an accessory after the fact to the kidnapping resulting in death. Jamie Waterman admitted that he knew Amber Waterman had kidnapped Bush, causing the death of her unborn child, and provided assistance in order to hinder or prevent the apprehension, trial, and punishment of Amber Waterman.

Amber Waterman, using a false name, contacted Bush, who was approximately 31 weeks pregnant, via Facebook. Amber Waterman pretended to help Bush obtain employment, suggesting she had a job opportunity for her. That prompted an in-person meeting between the two women on Oct. 28, 2022, at the Gravette, Ark., public library. They agreed to meet again on Oct. 31, 2022.

On Oct. 31, 2022, at roughly 11:45 a.m., Bush met Amber Waterman at the Handi-Stop convenience store in Maysville, Ark. Under the pretext that Amber Waterman was taking her to meet a supervisor to further discuss employment, Bush got into a truck driven by Amber Waterman. Amber Waterman then kidnapped and abducted Bush, driving her from Maysville to the Waterman residence in Pineville.








According to court documents, Amber Waterman led Jamie Waterman to Bush’s body. Jamie Waterman assisted in hiding and disposing of the body.

At about 5 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2022, first responders reported to the Longview store in Pineville for an emergency call of a baby who was not breathing. Amber Waterman admitted that she claimed to first responders that she had given birth to the child in the truck while on the way to the hospital. But in reality, she admitted, the child was Bush’s child, who died in utero, as a result of Amber Waterman’s kidnapping that resulted in the death of Bush.

An autopsy indicated that Bush died as a result of penetrating trauma of the torso and her death was classified as a homicide.


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