US Hitwoman Convicted of Attempted Murder in Birmingham Assassination Plot

Aimee Betro, a 45-year-old American woman, has been convicted of conspiracy to murder for her role in a failed assassination attempt in Birmingham, UK, in 2019. Betro traveled to the UK to carry out the hit on Sikander Ali, disguised in a niqab, after falling in love online with Mohammed Nabil Nazir, the man who orchestrated the plot alongside his father Mohammed Aslam amid a family feud. The assassination attempt failed when Betro's gun jammed, allowing Ali to escape, but she later fired shots through his family's home windows; despite the botched attack, Betro fled the country and spent five years on the run before her arrest. Evidence included CCTV footage, DNA found on a glove inside the getaway car, and gun parts, leading to her conviction on charges including possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and illegal ammunition importation. Nazir and Aslam had already been jailed for a combined 42 years for their involvement in the conspiracy. Betro denied the charges, claiming mistaken identity, but showed no visible reaction as the jury delivered the verdict after nearly 21 hours of deliberation.