Thanks to Instagram pictures

Journalists track down contract killer

Aimee Betro's pictures on social media were her undoing.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Facebook, Adobe/EdNurg)

A contract killer from the USA who was supposed to kill a business owner and his son in the UK has been caught after a year-long police manhunt following research by journalists. Details in the background of pictures on social media led the reporters to Armenia, where the 44-year-old had been hiding. 

Aimee Betro from Wisconsin traveled to the UK in September 2019 because she had landed a job: she was to kill the owner of a clothing store and his son in Birmingham. Betro had disguised herself with a hijab. The two targets probably only owe their lives to a jam in her firearm. 

Journalists only needed two days to investigate
After the murder attempt, however, there was no trace of the 44-year-old - an international arrest warrant was unsuccessful. It was only when journalists from the Daily Mail took on the case that the suspect was tracked down. The reporters analyzed Instagram pictures on the woman's profile - with the help of a few selfies and sunset photos taken from the living room window, they were able to find out where she lived. They discovered that Betro lived in a gated community on the northern outskirts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia - after just two days of research.

The alleged clients of the US-American woman are also shown in this post. They also face long prison sentences: 

Using footage from a surveillance camera, the reporters found out that the suspect was currently staying there. They informed the British police. They were surprised by the findings - they asked the British newspaper not to report on the curious case before the arrest.

Suspect to be extradited to Great Britain
Betro has now been arrested by Armenian officials at her home in Yerevan - she is soon to be taken to the UK for trial. The two countries have an extradition treaty. 

US-American woman led a secluded life
The 44-year-old is said to have lived in a comfortable but sparsely furnished apartment. According to the Daily Mail, for 600 pounds a month in rent, she enjoyed a view of the snow-capped mountains of the Caucasus, lived a quiet life with her cat and is said to have rarely left her apartment. Her social life is also said to have been very limited.