Married couple arrested after pregnant woman and her baby found dead in two separate locations

Two people have been arrested after a pregnant woman from Arkansas and her baby were found dead in separate locations. 

Ashley Bush, who was 31 weeks pregnant, was found dead on Thursday — one day after her baby, Valkyrie Grace Willis, was found dead. It appears Bush, 33, died from a gunshot wound, Benton County Prosecutor Nathan Smith said during a press conference. Benton County is in Arkansas and neighbors Missouri, where the bodies were found.

The two suspects, Amber Watterman and Jamie Watterman, have been arrested on kidnapping charges and are a married couple from Missouri who met Bush online, Smith said. Evidence shows Bush was looking for a work-from-home job online and believed she was going to meet someone for a job interview, Smith said. 

It is unclear where Bush and her baby died. Additional charges are expected to be brought forward.

Smith said it is too early to know a motive.

The investigation is ongoing and law enforcement is not yet able to lay out the timeline of the kidnapping and deaths. The FBI and law enforcement in two different counties are aiding in the investigation. 

“This is just a reminder that there is evil in the world,” Smith said. “People do evil things. And that someone would pray upon a pregnant woman in her most vulnerable state is unimaginable, but unfortunately that’s the world we live in.”