[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] … was exposed after jammed gun saw her botch a contract killing in Birmingham.These are the first pictures of the seemingly unassuming American tourist whose secret double life as an alleged assassin-for-hire was exposed after a jammed gun saw her botch a contract killing in Birmingham.
Aimee Betro, 44, flew over from her native Milwaukee to kill boutique clothing store owner Sikander Ali on the orders of rival Mohammed Aslam, 56, and his son Mohammed Nazir, 30.
A trial in the UK heard how the hitwoman, who worked as an administrator for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team, disguised herself in a hijab before trying to gun Ali down outside a house in Acocks Green, Birmingham on September 7, 2019.
She fled the scene when her gun jammed, but later returned in a taxi and fired three shots at the property before texting their principal target - Mr Ali's father Aslat Mahamud: 'Stop playing hide and seek' and 'Where are you hiding?'.
Betro - who studied early childhood education at a local college in Milwaukee - flew back to the US two days after the failed contract killing and today West Midlands Police said efforts to find her 'continue'. There is no suggestion Betro stands accused of any other attempted hits.
Nazir and Aslam, who were found guilty of conspiracy to murder on Monday, held a grudge against Mr Ali's family following a violent dispute at his boutique clothing store in Birmingham on July 21, 2018, which saw windows smashed and the interior 'trashed'.
Police arrived to find Nazir and Aslam had been injured.
In September 2019, the pair flew Betro over from the States to Birmingham in a bid to kill Mr Ali and his family.
On September 6, Nazir and Aslam travelled from their home in Derby to Birmingham city centre, with Nazir spending more than two hours in Birmingham's Rotunda hotel with Betro - who ordered a takeaway from Deliveroo.
Birmingham Crown Court heard how Betro - disguised in a hijab - pulled up in a Mercedes before Mr Ali pulled up in an Audi nearby.
Kevin Hegarty KC, prosecuting said: 'As he did the would-be assassin came from the driver's side of the Mercedes.
'As she left the Mercedes she left the driver's door open. She walked quite calmly towards Sikander Ali and was pointing a gun at him at head height.
'As she got closer to Sikander Ali he saw her and he saw the gun and she pulled the trigger to fire the gun at him. Mercifully and luckily for him the gun jammed.'
Mr Hegarty said Mr Ali rapidly reversed his car and drove off, while Betro abandoned her Mercedes nearby - where it was later found by police.
The next morning, she took a taxi to the house and fired three shots at the property before returning to the taxi and going to a McDonald's in Bordesley Green. No one was hit.
Afterwards, Betro sent Aslat Mahamud a text saying 'you want to rip me off, you want to be a drugs kingpin go look at your house. I will show you. Watch your back. I will be shedding blood soon'.
The father replied: 'What are you talking about? I'm a family man I have never sold drugs in my life.'
Betro fled to the US two days later.
Police launched an investigation into the shootings, with the trail leading to Aslam and Nazir. Detectives were able to piece together their involvement through their phones, CCTV and financial investigations.
The jury heard Nazir flew out to America a few days after Betro, who he put down as his point of contact on travel documentation, but he was arrested after his return to the UK the following month. Aslam was also arrested.
Nazir was found guilty of conspiracy to murder, possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence on Wednesday, June 5.
He was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice and illegally importing firearms over a plot to bring guns into the country and then blame it on another person to frame them.
Guns had been sent by Betro from Illinois, according to a tipoff received by police.
Aslam was found guilty of conspiracy to murder. He was cleared of a firearms offence.
The pair will be sentenced on August 9.
Detective Inspector Matt Marston, from West Midlands Police, said: 'Aslam and Nazir were determined to take revenge following a fall out where they were injured.
'The lengths they went to in trying to make sure they weren't implicated in pulling the trigger are immense.
'However, thanks to some great police work and support from our Derbyshire colleagues we were able to place them firmly in the middle of the attempted murder plot.'