‘White Widow’ Samantha Lewthwaite Smeared Blood Over Her Face, Escaped Westgate Mall

A woman holds a copy of the British tabloid newspaper The Sun, in London, Friday, Sept. 23, 2005 which carries on its front page their story of Samantha Lewthwaite, who is pictured with her daughter Ruqayyah. There is speculation that the "White Widow" is behind the terror attack on Westgate mall in Nairobi, which started on September 21 and has killed at least 72 people while injuring over 150 others. (AP Photo/Andrew Stuart)

‘White Widow’ Samantha Lewthwaite smeared blood over her face and slipped out of Westgate mall during the four-day siege there, it was reported.

Lewthwaite, who is part of al-Shabab, rented a unit in the mall a month before the attacks in preparation for the al-Shabab killing spree of at least 67 people, reported Northern Ireland’s Belfast Telegraph. Lewthwaite was born in  Banbridge, Northern Ireland.

Citing “security sources in the country,” the newspaper reports that staff at the mall told police they helped a woman who closely resembles Lewthwaite load boxes into a shop unit.

In contradiction to some people’s assumption that Lewthwaite doesn’t hold a leadership position within the terrorist organization, Lewthwaite appears to have helped lead the attack, according to the Telegraph.

Lewthwaite is referred to as the “White Widow“ because her husband died in the 2005 London subway bombings. He was one of the bombers.

She is alleged to have participated in a planned terrorist attack in Mombasa, Kenya in 2012.

An associate of hers, Germaine Grant--who is also British-born--is on trial for the attack.