Ashley Bush was excited to meet her fourth baby. The 33-year-old and her fiancé, Joshua Willis, had already named the baby girl Valkyrie Grace Willis and her siblings, aged eight, seven, and two, were preparing for the new arrival at their home in Arkansas.
It was October 2022. Ashley had been struggling during her pregnancy with gestational hypertension, which causes high blood pressure. The baby was doing well and, at 31 weeks, Ashley knew she didn't have long to go. But she was worried about the cost of their growing family, especially because she was the main earner.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/ahz7eGMqI1741072544437/9013595116.jpg]
Ashley had been looking on Facebook for secondhand baby clothes and joined a local group. She received a message from a woman called Lucy Barrows, who had some baby things available – but Lucy also had an opportunity for Ashley that caught her attention. Lucy said there was a job opening for a work-at-home role, at a company based outside Arkansas – and Ashley was perfect for the position.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/ahz7eGMqI1741072544437/4073101164.jpg]
Ashley saw it as a chance to earn some money and agreed to meet Lucy to chat more about the job. On 28 October, Ashley and Lucy met at a public library in Gravette, Arkansas. Ashley told Joshua that the meeting had gone well and she had been invited to meet the supervisor to go through to the next stage. It seemed the answer to Ashley’s worries – a job she could do from home, while being around for her children.
Late morning on Halloween, with Ashley 33 weeks pregnant, Joshua dropped her off at a convenience store in Maysville which was 13 miles away from their home. Joshua saw Lucy as Ashley got into her truck and recognised her as the same woman from the library, so he didn’t suspect anything unusual. But when Ashley sent Joshua a text at 3pm saying she was on her way back to the store, he waited and watched the truck they were in drive right by on the highway, heading north, with Lucy at the wheel. Joshua tried to call Ashley, but it kept going to voicemail and she never returned to the store. At 6.30pm that day, he reported her missing.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/ahz7eGMqI1741072544437/3939947461.jpg]
Meanwhile, at around the same time, police responded to a 911 call about a baby who wasn’t breathing. When they arrived at the location in Pineville, Missouri, they found a woman, Amber Waterman, holding a baby. She said she had just given birth in the truck while she was on the way to the hospital. The placenta was in Waterman’s trousers and her husband Jamie Waterman was by her side. Paramedics tried to revive the baby, but they were unsuccessful. Waterman and her husband started to plan the baby’s funeral.
Meanwhile, in Arkansas, there was a frantic search for Ashley. Missing posters were circulated and social media was used to try to find information about her disappearance. Joshua told the police about Lucy and they examined the communications between her and Ashley.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/ahz7eGMqI1741072544437/4073101164.jpg]
UNDER SUSPICION
On 2 November, the Watermans were due to bury their baby, but a coroner appeared with legal documents so he could conduct an autopsy on the infant. Amber Waterman asked multiple times whether they would DNA test the baby, which raised even more suspicions.
The following day, police went to Waterman’s home and found blood in her truck – a truck that matched the description of the vehicle Joshua had seen his wife get into. Waterman’s husband said the blood must have been from Waterman giving birth and admitted he had seen his wife attempting to clean the truck and described her burning rags in their firepit afterwards.
Investigators determined that 'Lucy' was Waterman and the baby she claimed she had was Ashley's. Waterman had used the alias to trick Ashley into meeting her. The question was, how had the baby been separated from Ashley? Had she given birth? Was she still alive?
Waterman was taken into custody wit...
It was October 2022. Ashley had been struggling during her pregnancy with gestational hypertension, which causes high blood pressure. The baby was doing well and, at 31 weeks, Ashley knew she didn't have long to go. But she was worried about the cost of their growing family, especially because she was the main earner.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/ahz7eGMqI1741072544437/9013595116.jpg]
Ashley had been looking on Facebook for secondhand baby clothes and joined a local group. She received a message from a woman called Lucy Barrows, who had some baby things available – but Lucy also had an opportunity for Ashley that caught her attention. Lucy said there was a job opening for a work-at-home role, at a company based outside Arkansas – and Ashley was perfect for the position.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/ahz7eGMqI1741072544437/4073101164.jpg]
Ashley saw it as a chance to earn some money and agreed to meet Lucy to chat more about the job. On 28 October, Ashley and Lucy met at a public library in Gravette, Arkansas. Ashley told Joshua that the meeting had gone well and she had been invited to meet the supervisor to go through to the next stage. It seemed the answer to Ashley’s worries – a job she could do from home, while being around for her children.
Late morning on Halloween, with Ashley 33 weeks pregnant, Joshua dropped her off at a convenience store in Maysville which was 13 miles away from their home. Joshua saw Lucy as Ashley got into her truck and recognised her as the same woman from the library, so he didn’t suspect anything unusual. But when Ashley sent Joshua a text at 3pm saying she was on her way back to the store, he waited and watched the truck they were in drive right by on the highway, heading north, with Lucy at the wheel. Joshua tried to call Ashley, but it kept going to voicemail and she never returned to the store. At 6.30pm that day, he reported her missing.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/ahz7eGMqI1741072544437/3939947461.jpg]
Meanwhile, at around the same time, police responded to a 911 call about a baby who wasn’t breathing. When they arrived at the location in Pineville, Missouri, they found a woman, Amber Waterman, holding a baby. She said she had just given birth in the truck while she was on the way to the hospital. The placenta was in Waterman’s trousers and her husband Jamie Waterman was by her side. Paramedics tried to revive the baby, but they were unsuccessful. Waterman and her husband started to plan the baby’s funeral.
Meanwhile, in Arkansas, there was a frantic search for Ashley. Missing posters were circulated and social media was used to try to find information about her disappearance. Joshua told the police about Lucy and they examined the communications between her and Ashley.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/ahz7eGMqI1741072544437/4073101164.jpg]
UNDER SUSPICION
On 2 November, the Watermans were due to bury their baby, but a coroner appeared with legal documents so he could conduct an autopsy on the infant. Amber Waterman asked multiple times whether they would DNA test the baby, which raised even more suspicions.
The following day, police went to Waterman’s home and found blood in her truck – a truck that matched the description of the vehicle Joshua had seen his wife get into. Waterman’s husband said the blood must have been from Waterman giving birth and admitted he had seen his wife attempting to clean the truck and described her burning rags in their firepit afterwards.
Investigators determined that 'Lucy' was Waterman and the baby she claimed she had was Ashley's. Waterman had used the alias to trick Ashley into meeting her. The question was, how had the baby been separated from Ashley? Had she given birth? Was she still alive?
Waterman was taken into custody wit...
You're reading a preview of
New UK (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 10, 2025