Who Is Aimee Betro: 'Hijab Hitwoman' Guilty Of Conspiracy To Murder In UK

An American woman has been found guilty in Birmingham of conspiring to murder a man during a failed assassination attempt in 2019.

Aimee Betro, 45, from Wisconsin, was described in court as the 'hijab hitwoman' after disguising herself in a niqab before trying to shoot her target at point-blank range. The attack, which prosecutors said was part of a revenge plot between rival families, failed when her gun jammed.

Attempted Shooting in 2019

Betro became involved in a long-running dispute between two families after meeting Mohammed Nabil Nazir through a dating app. Nazir and his father, Mohammed Aslam, recruited her to carry out the shooting in September 2019, according to The Guardian.

She travelled from the United States to Birmingham, telling friends she was visiting for her birthday. On the day of the attack, she approached Sikander Ali outside his home, wearing a niqab to conceal her identity, Sky News reported. The gun malfunctioned and Ali escaped unharmed.

Later that evening, Betro returned to the property and fired shots at the building, according to prosecutors. No one was injured, but the incident triggered a major police investigation.

Fugitive Tracked to Armenia

Betro fled to the US shortly after the attack and avoided capture for several years. In July 2024 she was arrested in Armenia after an international operation involving UK, US and Armenian authorities, BBC News reported. She was extradited to the UK to stand trial.

Following a two-week hearing at Birmingham Crown Court, she was convicted in early August 2025 of conspiracy to murder, firearms offences and illegal ammunition importation. The court heard that her arrest was the result of months of intelligence-sharing and cooperation between law enforcement agencies in multiple countries, according to the West Midlands Police.

Infatuation Behind Plot

The trial revealed that Betro was not a professional assassin. She worked as a freelance graphic designer and had studied early childhood education in Wisconsin, The Independent reported. She had also undertaken freelance projects for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team.

Prosecutors argued that she was motivated by infatuation with Nazir and was drawn into his feud with Ali. Nazir and Aslam were convicted in 2024 and are serving sentences of 32 years and 10 years respectively.

Betro's defence attempted to cast doubt on her identity, suggesting she had been mistaken for another American woman, according to ITVX. The jury rejected this claim after reviewing CCTV footage and forensic evidence.

Sentencing Later This Month

Sentencing is scheduled for later this month, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The prosecution has indicated that it will seek a substantial prison term given the premeditated nature of the attack, the use of a disguise and the involvement of firearms.

Specialist Prosecutor Hannah Sidaway, from the CPS in the West Midlands, said, 'Betro tried to kill a man in a Birmingham street at point-blank range. It is sheer luck that he managed to get away unscathed... Aimee Betro will now have to face the consequences of her actions.'

The case has been described by detectives as one of the most complex conspiracy-to-murder investigations undertaken in recent years. It highlights how cross-border collaboration can track suspects across continents, even years after a crime is committed.