Heather Mack: 'Suitcase killer' sentenced to 26 years for murdering mother in Bali over $1.5M trust fund
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: On Wednesday, January 17, Chicago native Heather Mack was sentenced to 26 years in prison in connection to the death of her mother, Sheila Von Wiese-Mack, whom she killed during a luxury family vacation to Bali, Indonesia, in 2014, as per Fox News.
The 27-year-old pleaded guilty in June 2023 to one count of conspiring to kill her mother with her then-boyfriend Tommy Schaefer, who was previously found guilty of killing Sheila in 2015. Her apparent motive was to gain access to a $1.5 million trust fund.
How did Heather Mack and Tommy Schaefer kill Sheila Von Wiese-Mack?
Heather and Schaefer apparently devised the murder plot through text messages before launching their ambush on Sheila in her room at Bali's St Regis hotel. The 27-year-old traveled to the island with her mother, while Schaefer arrived later on a separate flight without the victim's awareness.
In the hotel room, the then-19-year-old pregnant Heather muffled her mother's screams by covering her mouth, allowing Schaefer to fatally beat her with the metal handle of a fruit bowl.
Then, the couple cleaned up the crime scene and replaced the linens before placing Sheila's body in a suitcase, which was later found in the trunk of a taxi that had refused to provide a ride to them.
An autopsy revealed defensive wounds on the mother's body and determined that she had succumbed to blunt force trauma, resulting in fractures to her nose and jaw, which, in turn, obstructed her airway.
Prosecutors dub Heather Mack and Tommy Schaefer's murder of Sheila Von Wiese-Mack 'vicious'
In a sentencing memo, federal prosecutors expressed, "The murder of Von Wiese at the hands of the defendant and Schaefer was vicious, The evidence indicates Von Wiese struggled to stay alive, meaning that, in the last moments of her life, she realized that her daughter, and only child, was responsible for her death."
Prosecutors also retrieved text messages between Mack and Schaefer, revealing their coordination of the murder and their fantasies about how to spend the money they believed she would inherit after her mother's demise.
Heather Mack previously served seven years in Indonesia
As reported by Fox News, in 2015, Heather was convicted of being an accomplice to Sheila's murder and received 15 years behind bars. She served seven years of that sentence before being deported to the US in 2021.
She was arrested by local police as soon as she arrived at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Notably, Heather was accompanied by her then-six-year-old daughter, who was reportedly placed in the care of a relative after a custody battle.
Heather's legal team had requested a sentence of no more than 15 years, with deductions for the time served in the overseas prison. On the other hand, prosecutors sought a 28-year sentence.
Judge Matthew Kennelly did give Heather credit for the roughly two years she spent in custody in Chicago awaiting trial.
As for Schaefer, he remains incarcerated in Indonesia, serving his 18-year sentence.
