BENTON COUNTY, Ark. — The search for a missing pregnant woman came to a gruesome end after authorities discovered the bodies of her and her unborn child in separate locations in southwest Missouri.
Authorities discovered human remains they say belong to Ashley Bush, 33, at a McDonald County home, and preliminary evidence suggests she died from a gunshot wound. The body of her unborn daughter was also found in McDonald County in another location, but investigators say it’s early in the case and they don’t want to reveal exactly where.
Bush, a mother of three, went missing on Halloween after meeting an online stranger she knew as “Lucy.”
According to Nexstar affiliate, KNWA: Her fiancé Josh Willis said he dropped Bush off at the Handi-Stop in Maysville, Arkansas Monday afternoon. There, she was supposedly meeting the woman they knew as “Lucy” for a job interview. Willis and Bush met “Lucy” at the Gravette Library the week before, and the Handi-Stop meeting was supposed to be a “second interview.”
Unbeknownst to Willis, this would be the last time he would see his partner. After returning to the Handi-Stop that same day to pick up his pregnant fiancée, Willis would watch as she and “Lucy” drove past him without stopping, and he cried out for her. Despite attempting to catch up in his own car, the truck Bush was in sped off. Bush’s phone was found in a nearby ditch.
Authorities have arrested two suspects, one they say was using the alias, “Lucy.” Amber Waterman and her husband, Jamie Waterman, were booked into the McDonald County Jail on preliminary charges of kidnapping. The couple was taken into custody at their home in McDonald County. At a news conference, Benton County Sheriff’s officials said the case is in the early stages, and as they understand things now, they suspect Amber and Jamie Waterman are responsible for the deaths of Bush and the unborn baby, who they named *Valkyrie Grace Willis. Officials did say more charges are expected to follow.
(Jamie Waterman booking photo unavailable at this time.)
Police are not searching for additional suspects at this time. The FBI, Newton and McDonald County Sheriff’s Offices are assisting the Benton County Sheriff’s Office with their investigation. An autopsy date has not yet been set.
*correct spelling unknown