GUILTY Bali - Sheila von Wiese Mack, 62, found dead in suitcase, 12 Aug 2014 #2

[SouthAussie]

Thanks for the link to the new article, ezywalker!

So, it will be a while before they are in court .... I think around the 12th October will be the max 60 days. They should appear right before then.

"The pair have yet to be officially charged. Their initial detention period of 20 days has been extended for another 40 days and they will not be officially charged until they appear in court."

http://www.news.com.au/world/pacifi...la-mack-revealed/story-fnh819y6-1227064190421

 

[FigTree]

Hmm, so Lily Lubis is on HM's legal team. She was also on Shapelle Corby's team (Aussie know this case well).

http://www.news.com.au/world/pacifi...la-mack-revealed/story-fnh819y6-1227064190421

Ms Lubis, who also represented Schapelle Corby, was with Mack at the hospital.

I am very skeptical of this report...
Heather might have said that (as she would) - but I wonder what Tommy has said about HM's involvement?

He also revealed that Heather Mack, who has been accused of murdering her mother, had so far confessed to witnessing the murder.

Bingo!
Thought this was going to be the outcome of the charge... there could be no other.

Utomo said police were still investigating the case but so far intend to charge the pair with premeditated murder, which carries the maximum death penalty, and with murder, which carries a 20-year maximum.

 

[SouthAussie]

For sure, to me, they are both guilty of premeditated murder. Someone let Tommy into the hotel room, or gave him their access card. They were evidently both present, no matter who struck the blows. They both concealed the crime, both being seen with the suitcase. Neither called for assistance as Sheila was dying.

 

[SouthAussie]

“The baby has been formed. We can see the feet and hands,” Ms Lubis said.

She described Mack’s reaction to the image on the screen as “happy and surprised”. Mack said excitedly said “my baby” when it appeared on the monitor.

Ms Lubis said Mack talked repeatedly of her concerns for the baby’s future.

“She said that she feels worried. She has always said that she fears if she must treat her child in jail. I think it is normal for a pregnant woman facing a case like this, to feel like that. She really wants to be a good mother for her child,” Ms Lubis said, adding that Mack was still in shock.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...la-mack-revealed/story-fnihsmjt-1227064190421


:facepalm: Too bad she didn't think about these things before she murdered the baby's grandmother.

That poor baby. I hope someone else gives him/her a good home and safe, wonderful life.

 

[SouthAussie]

Bingo!
Thought this was going to be the outcome of the charge... there could be no other.

Utomo said police were still investigating the case but so far intend to charge the pair with premeditated murder, which carries the maximum death penalty, and with murder, which carries a 20-year maximum.

RSBM: Premeditated murder and murder? Who is going to get the murder charge, and who is going to get the premeditated murder charge I wonder?

 

[Orange Tabby]

RSBM: Premeditated murder and murder? Who is going to get the murder charge, and who is going to get the premeditated murder charge I wonder?

When I read that I thought he was saying Heather and Tommy would each be charged with both premeditated murder and murder. I'm thinking this may the way Indonesia treats lesser included offenses. An example of what I mean is the Oscar Pistorious case. The prosecution alleged premeditated murder but when Judge Masipa found him not guilty of that charge, he wasn't acquitted. She found him guilty of a lesser charge.

Could it be that in Indonesia they explicitly charge defendants with all possible "versions" of the crime? That's how it seems from what the news account says:

Utomo said police were still investigating the case but so far intend to charge the pair with premeditated murder, which carries the maximum death penalty, and with murder, which carries a 20-year maximum.
http://www.news.com.au/world/pacifi...la-mack-revealed/story-fnh819y6-1227064190421

From what we know so far, it doesn't seem right that Heather should be able to gobble down ice cream whenever she wants 20 years from now while Tommy rots in Kerobokan forever.

 

[SouthAussie]

I can't say for sure, but I have been looking at a lot of Indonesian murder cases (trying to find one of a foreigner who killed a foreigner in Bali, have only found one suspected case like that - but they couldn't find the American suspect, then the case dropped out of MSM) ... and they only seem to file one charge, either murder or premeditated murder. :dunno:

 

[Suthrnqt]

I'm confused.(Imagine that) Are they both being charged with premeditated murder and murder? Or is premeditated for TS and murder for HM?

 

[Orange Tabby]

I can't say for sure, but I have been looking at a lot of Indonesian murder cases (trying to find one of a foreigner who killed a foreigner in Bali, have only found one suspected case like that - but they couldn't find the American suspect, then the case dropped out of MSM) ... and they only seem to file one charge, either murder or premeditated murder. :dunno:

Thanks for that info, SouthAussie. I'm upset at the idea that Indonesian authorities may charge the two of them differently. It seems so horribly wrong. It may still be possible that Tommy realizes his position and decides to offer devastating evidence against Heather and they both end up charged with premeditated murder.

 

[Kamille]

Also from that article...

Mack was questioned by police all day on Wednesday and again yesterday as they further the investigation.
Police sources told News Corporation that neither Mack nor Schaefer, who have been held in separate police jails and not allowed to see each other, had confessed to the murder.
But police intend processing the case and pursuing murder charges against the pair.

So neither have confessed. Does that mean TS also claimed to be a witness?

I think there is some confusion with the two charges listed. I think the fact that they will be charged with either/or has been lost in translation.

MOO

 

[Orange Tabby]

The Associated Press says that Tommy has confessed!

Excerpts from the article, which has no byline:

An American man has confessed that he killed his girlfriend’s mother in a luxury hotel on Indonesia’s Bali island, and the girlfriend has acknowledged helping him stuff the body into a suitcase, police said Friday.

“Schaefer confessed to killing von Wiese-Mack during police interrogation,” police chief Col. Djoko Heru Utomo told The Associated Press. “He was hurt and offended by the victim’s words in an argument with him. That is the motive for the murder.”

He said Mack, who is three months’ pregnant, admitted in a separate interrogation that she helped Schaefer stuff her mother’s body into a suitcase.

Utomo said Schaefer and Mack were accompanied by their Indonesian and U.S. lawyers during the interrogations.

The couple has yet to be formally charged. Utomo said officers hoped to complete their investigation and file their case with prosecutors before the couple’s detention period ends in mid-October.​

See: http://www.suntimes.com/news/29978152-418/oak-park-man-confesses-to-murder-in-bali-resort-cops.html

ETA: The Guardian has published the same story: http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...tcase-murder-confess-police#start-of-comments

 

[seaca]

http://m.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/09/19/american-suspects-deny-involvement-murder.html
Heather Lois Mack, 18, and Tommy Schaefer, 21, the US couple who allegedly killed Mack’s mother and put her body into a suitcase, continue to deny the murder accusation leveled against them.

During separate interrogations conducted by the police, both continued to state there had been robbers at the scene.

Denpasar Police investigator I Nengah Sadiarta said the police had been unable to uncover a motive for the murder as the suspects had not confessed. “How can we know their motive when they haven’t confessed that they committed the murder,” Sadiarta said Thursday.

However, Sadiarta insisted that the case would continue with or without a confession.

“We are not pursuing their confessions. We will continue to process the dossiers, as we have all the evidence,” he said.

Sadiarta said that police intended to complete the dossiers before the detention period ended in mid-October. However, if they are not completed in time, he said, the detention period could be extended for another 30 days.

Since the arrest, both suspects have repeatedly refused to speak to the police without their US lawyers being present. They have been held in separate locations to prevent communication. Mack is being detained at the Denpasar Police office, while Schaefer is being detained at Bali Police headquarters.

The US lawyers arrived last week and Schaefer and Mack finally gave their statements to the police. Schaefer was interrogated on Friday of last week, while Mack underwent interrogation on Wednesday and Thursday.

During the interrogation, Mack, who is three months pregnant, was accompanied by her lawyers Raja Nasution and Lily Lubis. Her US lawyer, Michael Elkin, was also present during the questioning.

“As lawyers, we are here to give legal assistance so she gets her legal rights, as well as to give moral support so that our client can explain to the police what really happened,” Raja said.

Raja refused to clarify Mack’s statement, but stated it had been difficult to persuade her to talk.

“We explained about the law, her rights and obligations as a suspect in the case. We explained the impact if she didn’t tell the truth. […] We told her this is the real world […] and she is responsible for her own life.”

“If she remains tight-lipped and doesn’t tell the truth, she will harm her life in the future,” he added.

 

[seaca]

Now finally we can stop sitting on our hands waiting for some news, and start tearing our hair out over the contradictions in the news that we do receive

The Associated Press says that Tommy has confessed!

Excerpts from the article, which has no byline:

An American man has confessed that he killed his girlfriend’s mother in a luxury hotel on Indonesia’s Bali island, and the girlfriend has acknowledged helping him stuff the body into a suitcase, police said Friday.

“Schaefer confessed to killing von Wiese-Mack during police interrogation,” police chief Col. Djoko Heru Utomo told The Associated Press. “He was hurt and offended by the victim’s words in an argument with him. That is the motive for the murder.”

He said Mack, who is three months’ pregnant, admitted in a separate interrogation that she helped Schaefer stuff her mother’s body into a suitcase.

Utomo said Schaefer and Mack were accompanied by their Indonesian and U.S. lawyers during the interrogations.

The couple has yet to be formally charged. Utomo said officers hoped to complete their investigation and file their case with prosecutors before the couple’s detention period ends in mid-October.​

See: http://www.suntimes.com/news/29978152-418/oak-park-man-confesses-to-murder-in-bali-resort-cops.html

ETA: The Guardian has published the same story: http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...tcase-murder-confess-police#start-of-comments

 

[Kamille]

Okay well that's as clear as mud. How can we get two completely different stories? SMH

 

[SouthAussie]

The Jakarta Post article looks like 'older' information, doesn't it? Even though it was just published today, it is all info that has been released days ago.

 

[seaca]

Nevertheless, they are talking about the same interrogations. There are two different police quoted. Sadiarta says there has been no confession whereas Utomo says they have confessed

 

[SouthAussie]

Maybe Tommy lost his temper (during interrogation) and admitted to harming Sheila due to Sheila's insults toward him. I imagine they are putting the pressure on him fairly hard.

Maybe his lawyer resigned because Tommy just wouldn't follow his guidance, and now there is nothing left to defend. Perhaps he was also very rude to his lawyer. There is a good chance he is feeling very lost and alone. He does not have the support systems that HM seems to have. He may just have cracked under the strain and disappointment.

 

[SouthAussie]

Nevertheless, they are talking about the same interrogations. There are two different police quoted. Sadiarta says there has been no confession whereas Utomo says they have confessed

The police chief is saying he confessed. The other guy is an investigator. Personally, I'd be going with the police chief.

“Schaefer confessed to killing von Wiese-Mack during police interrogation,” police chief Col. Djoko Heru Utomo told The Associated Press.

Denpasar Police investigator I Nengah Sadiarta said the police had been unable to uncover a motive for the murder as the suspects had not confessed.

 

[Orange Tabby]

The contradictions between the two articles are striking. And the AP story is now everywhere.

The Chicago Sun-Times version of the AP story has just been updated to add this line:

Reached Friday morning, Kia Walker, Schaefer’s mother, said only that “I have been instructed not to make a public statement at this time.”​

And the bottom of the story now has this: "Contributing: Stefano Esposito." So Esposito probably called Walker.

Walker's very statement is certainly suggestive that Tommy's confession is real. If Tommy hadn't confessed, you'd think his mom would say so, for heaven's sake.

 

[SouthAussie]

Maybe a confession will get the death penalty off the table.