Missouri – A Missouri woman accused of kidnapping and killing another woman, 33-year-old AshIey and her unborn chiId was recently dealt a significant Iegal bIow when the Arkansas Supreme Court denied her appeal. The 45-year-old defendant, A. Walterman, had sought to bIock the state’s upcoming murder triaI, arguing that her previous federal conviction for kidnapping and causing the death of the victim’s child in utero prohibited the state from pursuing charges of capitaI murder. However, the Arkansas court disagreed, ruling that the charges were distinct enough to proceed without vioIating doubIe jeopardy protections.
The case stems from a gruesome crime that unfolded in 2022. The defendant, using a false identity under, contacted the victim, who was 8 months pregnant at the time, offering her a job opportunity. Through social media, the defendant reportedly lured the victim into an in-person meeting at a library in Arkansas, under the pretense of a job interview. The defendant, claiming she was helping the victim secure work, invited the 33-year-old woman to join her in a trip to meet a potential supervisor in another location.
Once the victim entered the defendant’s vehicle, the kidnapping occurred. The defendant drove the victim to her home in Missouri, about a two-hour journey away. Once at the residence, the defendant executed a chilling plan: she shot the pregnant woman, attempting to perform a crude and dangerous cesarean section to remove the victim’s unborn baby. The defendant then tried to claim the baby as her own, telling first responders that she had given birth to the child in a truck while on her way to the hospital. However, it became clear that the child was the victim’s and had died as a result of the defendant’s actions.
Following the discovery of the victim’s body and the circumstances surrounding the fetus’s death, the 45-year-old woman was arrested. She initially faced charges related to kidnapping and causing the death of a child in utero at the federal level. She later pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced to two life sentences without parole.
However, the state of Arkansas did not stop there. Prosecutors pursued separate charges against the defendant, including two counts of capital murder. The Arkansas Supreme Court’s ruling that the woman could face these charges despite her federal convictions allows the state to continue with its prosecution.
The court’s decision was based on the legal reasoning that the state’s charges require proof of facts not needed in the federal case, particularly that the capital murder charges involve premeditated and deliberate intent to kill, which is distinct from the federal kidnapping charges.
In response to the proceedings, the defendant’s defense team has requested a mental evaluation to determine her fitness for trial. They have also filed a motion to prevent prosecutors from referencing her federal case or any statements she made during federal proceedings. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for July 7, where these motions will be reviewed.