A woman from Missouri charged with the fatal kidnapping of a pregnant woman whose baby she allegedly planned to claim as her own has been charged with fetal death, federal court records show.
A grand jury indicted Amber Waterman, 43, for kidnapping that resulted in the death of Valkyrie Grace Willis, according to an indictment filed Tuesday in United States District Court in Missouri.
Waterman was charged in November with the fatal kidnapping of 33-year-old Ashley Bush. Bush, of Benton County, Arkansas, was 31 weeks pregnant when she was found dead on November 3.
Authorities have said Bush appeared to have been shot. His remains were discovered in Missouri, in a different location than the fetus.
Waterman’s husband, Jamie Waterman, 43, was previously indicted on one count of aiding his wife in the alleged kidnapping and avoiding her arrest.
Amber Waterman faces life in prison if convicted. Her husband faces a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Lawyers for the Watermans did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Federal authorities said Amber Waterman, of Pineville, Missouri, posed as a woman named “Lucy” and allegedly led Bush to believe that she would meet with a work supervisor on October 31.
Before she was arrested, Amber Waterman denied knowing Bush, according to an affidavit in support of her arrest. In an interview with authorities at her home, she said she gave birth to a stillborn baby on Oct. 31, the day Bush was reported missing, according to the affidavit.
Jamie Waterman told authorities that his wife burned Bush’s body in a campfire and confessed to the murder, the affidavit says. Jamie Waterman added that he later blamed the death on Lucy, whom he described as a former colleague at Walmart, according to the affidavit.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com