Overview

• Amber Waterman, convicted federally for kidnapping and causing the death of pregnant Ashley Bush and her unborn child, now faces a state-level capital murder trial.
• The Arkansas Supreme Court denied Waterman’s appeal to dismiss state charges on double jeopardy grounds, allowing Benton County prosecutors to seek the death penalty.
• Waterman lured Bush through a fake Facebook profile offering a job and maternity clothes, then ambushed and killed her, removing the unborn child from her womb.
• Bush’s cause of death was determined to be homicide by penetrating torso trauma, and her body was later burned and dumped, with Waterman’s husband admitting to assisting in the disposal.
• A pretrial hearing is scheduled for July 7, 2025, as Benton County prosecutors argue for the death penalty, citing the severity of the crime and the wishes of Bush’s family.