At this link is a good timeline of the actions that took place. I didn’t copy all of the text. Of note is that Benton County prosecutor Nathan Smith (AR) is charging Amber Waterman with 2 counts of capital murder and is seeking the death penalty.
An Arkansas woman, pregnant and hopeful for a job, was taken by a stranger she met online with a motive to take her unborn child.
www.5newsonline.com
NOV. 10, 2022
Benton County Charges
Benton County Prosecutor Nathan Smith announced on Thursday, Nov. 10, that he is charging Amber Waterman with two counts of capital murder and one count of kidnapping in the abduction and murder of Ashley Bush and her baby.
The announcement was made after Amber Waterman had made appearances in federal court in Missouri. He is seeking the death penalty.
“I also have alleged aggravating circumstances and declared my intention to seek the death penalty," Smith said. After the prosecutor spoke with Bush's family, he said they "supported the decision to seek the death penalty, which is currently easier to do at the state level."
Smith also said Bush's family preferred the case be tried in Benton County so they wouldn't have to travel out of state.
Jamie Waterman has been accused of helping Amber dispose of Bush's body, and hasn't been charged in Benton County due to there not being "clear evidence" that he participated in a crime in Arkansas.
Jamie was charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping resulting in death. The federal criminal complaint alleges that he helped Amber Waterman after the abduction and murder.
NOV. 16, 2022
Missouri Federal Indictment
On Nov. 16, the Watermans were indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in the kidnapping and murder of Ashley Bush
Amber and Jamie Waterman were charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Missouri. The indictment replaces separate criminal complaints that charged the Watermans with the same crimes on Nov. 3, 2022.
The two will remain in federal custody.
Amber Waterman is charged with one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The indictment alleges that, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, 2022, she kidnapped Ashley Bush in order to claim her unborn child as her own.
According to court records, Amber allegedly took Bush from Maysville, Arkansas, to Pineville, Missouri. The indictment alleges the kidnapping resulted in her death.
Jamie Waterman is charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping resulting in death. The indictment alleges that he assisted Amber, in order to "hinder and prevent her apprehension, trial, and punishment," knowing she had committed the kidnapping resulting in the death of Bush.
The two will remain innocent until proven guilty by a federal grand jury.
www.ozarksfirst.com
www.nwahomepage.com
