GUILTY Bali - Sheila von Wiese Mack, 62, found dead in suitcase, 12 Aug 2014 #3

[ajaylee]

If this has been posted before, I missed it.

TS posted a touching tribute to Robin Williams on his death.

He posted in on the 12th, probably from the hotel he and HM checked into after the St. Regis after killing SWM.

I realize it's hard to tell from the limited information we have, but the lack of remorse or upset is shocking. They obviously are so confident, even after being arrested, that HM, at least, doesn't seem to feel a need to even pretend to mourn SWM, while her boyfriend does have the time to post a touching tribute to someone he never even met.

 

[Orange Tabby]

Well, the trial will be in Indonesian. The accused will have an interpreter sitting with them probably (has been that way in trials of Aussies there, anyway). And we have never heard the full details of a trial there ... no transcripts ... just whatever MSM releases, and that is probably subject to someone's interpretation of what is said at the trial. Plus the judges are hard to keep up with as they speak so fast.

So, not sure what details will be revealed to us interested parties. That is why I am trying to absorb every piece of info that we get now, even though it is confusing and subject to interpretation and language/culture differences.

It is very disappointing to learn this, SouthAussie. I now fear, based on your post, that we won't get much good information from the trial because it appears that Sheila's murder has not had the kind of media interest that Schapelle Corby or the Bali Nine had. And I'm assuming you speak from the experience of following the media in those trials.

I continue to follow the case closely and make note of the details as well. But my conclusion in that long post wasn't that these facts are merely confusing or subject to interpretation. Rather that the police are sometimes issuing completely false statements (e.g. Tommy confessed). I will take note of new information, but I will no longer treat it as necessarily true.

Just maybe one of the journalists covering this case will write a book about it, taking the extra time needed, and a reasonable assembly of correct facts will appear in that. We can only hope.

 

[Orange Tabby]

Just wait until we hear the retraction that he didn't have anything under his shirt and that the weapon is back to a vase in SWM's room. LOL

That made me smile. But the next story about Tommy's weapon should be this: it was not a blunt object, it was a blunt!

 

[ajaylee]

I think there's a slight chance HM will get a very unwelcome birthday surprise.

If I understand correctly, when charges are filed, prisoners are moved to Kerobokan for the duration of the trial. The dossier was submitted last week and the second extension ends soon. Will they file for another extension or go ahead and charge HM and TS?

They'll both have it easier in Kerobokan than some, partly because they'll have outside $, partly because HM will likely get better quarters than some because she's pregnant.

I have to wonder, though, how two modern US young people are doing without ready access to a cellphone/TV/internet. No sympathy, but HM must be having a very hard time realizing that there are some things that $ and her 'attitude' still can't do.

 

[Orange Tabby]

Apart from the local story within Bali/Indonesia in general, how much we hear about the trial will likely depend on the amount of interest by the US media, IMO. It'll all be down to how much advertising their story will sell and whether it would be worth sending a journo, or just buy the independent AAP/Reuters feed.

I agree completely that the level of interest will dictate the level of coverage.

But even if any media outlets in the U.S., Chicago in particular, decide that detailed coverage is warranted, I think it is unlikely they would send a local reporter. In these sort of cases, where language skills and at least a rudimentary understanding of the legal system is very important, they'd more likely look to hire someone local (or relatively local). Perhaps a freelancer in Denpasar, if there is one, or someone currently based in Jakarta. In either case more likely Australian than American as I'm guessing Australians make up the largest part of native English speakers in Indonesia. But in any case, someone who speaks the language to be used in court. It seems likely that neither the Chicago Tribune or the Chicago Sun-Times would have such a person working for them in Chicago.

Also, hiring a stringer or freelancer generally costs less. There's no intercontinental airfare to pay and if you get lucky enough to find someone who lives in the city in question (Denpasar, in this case) there's no housing to pay either.

I begin to suspect that the English language print/online press will be not much more than Michael Bachelard of the Sydney Morning Herald, Ni Komang Erviani of The Jakarta Post, one or two folks from the Daily Mail (I've never made mental note of the bylines), and then AP, AFP, and Reuters. I hope I am wrong.

It's just possible that one or more of the local Chicago television stations (perhaps even one of the national news programs) would send someone, particularly if they could accurately predict when the verdict came down and pay only for a reporter to be present for that. But American TV reporters are hopeless, so this would add almost nothing but noise.

 

[Kamille]

This is a side note added to the blog "Wrecking Havoc" last night.

Side note:

For the travel buffs.......... a flight leaving Chicago IL at 5 pm on August 4th would arrive in Bali Indonesia at 6 am August 5th. By using simple math, using a non stop flight leaving early in the morning of August 4th would place Sheila and Heather in Bali on the 4th.

Tommy had posted on his Facebook page that he was expecting to leave for Bali on the 4th of August. I unfortunately did not get copies of his later postings where he stated that he might possibly go on to China and his delay in leaving because even though he had paid for an expedited passport, it had not arrived on time for him to leave on the 4th. This would lead me to believe that he had planned to accompany Heather and Sheila on the trip but it does not mean that Sheila would have known about it.

It has been reported that Sheila and Heather arrived in Bali on August 4th and stayed at the Simanyak Hotel until they checked into the St Regis on Aug 9th. The Simanyak is listed as being a less expensive hotel and it may have been their plan to spend only the last few days of the trip in a more expensive to save costs. There had been reports of the two of them having difficulties at the first hotel which may also be a reason for switching. Heather would have to have been in contact with Tommy for him to know of the hotel switch if it had not been planned earlier. The photo that Heather had posted that mentions "gettin money" is dated Aug 7th so it would not be from the room they shared at the St Regis as many have reported.

Well first off there are very few non stop flights to Bali from Chicago and if you can find one it would be extremely expensive. That person also appears to have deducted the 13hr time zone difference instead of adding it. We also know SWM was flying Cathay Pacific so that narrows it down. You can go right to their site to see the available flights. So the minimum flight time for SWM and HM was likely around 24.45 hours with one stop in Hong Kong (TS's reference to China? He was likely on the first leg of the flight when he made that comment?). No way to make it there same day when they are already 13 hours ahead to start off with. Now add another 13 hours time zone difference and you can see why when you leave Chicago on one day, you don't end up in Bali until the next day at least. It depends on what is available. I'd imagine SWM booked it so that she had the minimum flight time (which seems to be on the weekends) so at best they left Chicago on the 3rd to arrive in Bali on the 4th. So what day were they due to arrive back in Chicago and what day did their flight leave Bali to make that happen?

Here's the Cathay Pacific website for anyone to check out flight times http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_US.html?brand=CX

We also have to know if they are talking about Indonesian or Chicago time on all times that have been given. If TS entered SWM's room at 8:40am on Aug 12th, we have to assume that's Indonesian Central Time right? So for the people back in Chicago, this event actually occurred at 7:40pm on Aug 11th.

If they arrived in Bali on Aug 4th at 3pm (the standard time that Cathay Pacific lands there according to their website) then it was 2am on Aug 4th. So they couldn't have left on Aug 4th if you see what I mean.

Here's an example of a flight leaving on Saturday October 18th, the flight times and arrival times.

18 Oct 2014 CX807 Cathay Pacific ORD 15:30 HKG 20:20 +1 0 34:30 77W Economy (K)
20 Oct 2014 CX785 Cathay Pacific HKG 10:15 DPS 15:00 0 773 Economy (K)
28 Oct 2014 CX784 Cathay Pacific DPS 16:05 HKG 20:50 0 34:15 772 Economy (L)
29 Oct 2014 CX806 Cathay Pacific HKG 11:50 ORD 13:20 0 77W Economy (L)

Also I don't think there is a Simanyak hotel in Bali. I think that was just a typo for Seminyak which is an area and not a hotel. I don't think we've ever heard the actual hotel they were staying at in Seminyak have we?

MOO

 

[Kamille]

If this has been posted before, I missed it.

TS posted a touching tribute to Robin Williams on his death.

He posted in on the 12th, probably from the hotel he and HM checked into after the St. Regis after killing SWM.

I realize it's hard to tell from the limited information we have, but the lack of remorse or upset is shocking. They obviously are so confident, even after being arrested, that HM, at least, doesn't seem to feel a need to even pretend to mourn SWM, while her boyfriend does have the time to post a touching tribute to someone he never even met.

Again, the time you see is your time, not the time in Bali that he posted it. I wish we had a screen cap of that.

 

[Kamille]

That made me smile. But the next story about Tommy's weapon should be this: it was not a blunt object, it was a blunt!

:floorlaugh:

 

[Quester]

:dunno:

* * *

... a metal plant stand ...

http://www.oakpark.com/News/Article...der-took-place-after-victim-used-racial-slur/

 

[Quester]

Also I don't think there is a Simanyak hotel in Bali. I think that was just a typo for Seminyak which is an area and not a hotel. I don't think we've ever heard the actual hotel they were staying at in Seminyak have we?

MOO

RSBM

You're right - I should have marked "Seminyak hotel" instead of "Seminyak Hotel" as the first hotel at which they appeared to have stayed was in the Seminyak area and not named "Seminyak Hotel". There was some confusion / lack of clarity in initial reports about this.

To date, the name of that hotel in Seminyak has not been named, IIRC.

* * *

Thanks for that informative post as well!

From that Cathay site, there are a number of non-direct flights leaving this Thurs from Bali to Chicago starting at 4:10pm, Bali time.

Wonder if there were the same available flights on Thurs, Aug 14, Bali to Chicago? Any way of checking if any earlier flights left Bali in the Summer months schedule? TIA
​

 

[gracehatter]

Thanks Kamille, for some reason I can't quote and reply. Yes, the side note does appear to be rife with errors, sorry! No, I agree we haven't heard what hotel they were in first and I couldn't find a hotel by the name of The Simanyak either. Where did you find the airline SWM flew on? At this point, I don't know what to believe. Is anyone able to tell me whether or not Mr. Elkin is still working on behalf of Heather's unborn child (cough, cough)? I will be thinking of HM on 10-11-14 since my husband's birthday is the day before but we will celebrate it on Saturday when our kids come home.

 

[Orange Tabby]

[SBM]... a metal plant stand ...

http://www.oakpark.com/News/Article...der-took-place-after-victim-used-racial-slur/

What a complete piece of rubbish that oakpark.com article is!

1. It mentions the AP report, but fails to provide a link. Big parts of the story are just re-writes of the AP report by Firdia Lisnawati, which was linked here when it first appeared on the Huffington Post website. It’s also on the AP site here:

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/3762...3/suspect-indonesia-murder-slur-sparked-anger

There’s absolutely nothing about a metal plant stand in the story. If oakpark.com has another source for the metal plant holder, they should indicate what their source is.

In fact, do a Google search with these terms, including the quotation marks: “metal plant stand” “Tommy Schaefer” and you get that rarest of beasts, a kind of Googlewhack! Nobody but the clueless Jean Lotus of oakpark.com is alleging a metal plant stand. Nobody.

2. This oakpark.com article says:

Reprieve helped secure the legal help of Haposan Sihombing, an Indonesian lawyer, but Sihombing had to withdraw because of a potential conflict of interest, said Chicago lawyer Thomas Durkin, who said he is helping the family by working as Schaefer's U.S. attorney.​

Haposan Sihombing’s name has been associated with this case from the earliest days. He was regularly described as being the lawyer provided by the police. He was on the scene long before Reprieve was ever mentioned. As of September 23, Kia Walker, Tommy’s mother, said in an update on That Fundraising Site, “We are hoping to secure an Indonesian lawyer very soon.” So Haposan Sihombing was Tommy’s Indonesian lawyer before he had an Indonesian lawyer! Ridiculous.

3. The oakpark.com article quotes Kia Walker on That Fundraising Site as saying “I spent the weekend practicing self-care,” and a few other things, but neglects to tell readers that these statements were posted almost two weeks ago (September 23). Where has oakpark.com been?!!

An appalling piece of journalism. Thanks for posting the link. It is, sadly, yet more proof that there just isn't much interest in this story. If there were, we wouldn't have such a shoddy piece published in the very community Sheila called home for nearly two decades.

 

[ajaylee]

I think the hotel might be The Seminyak (in Seminyak).

When I google 'Simanyak', it actually returns results with the above spelling, along with a little note asking me if that's the spelling I want.

 

[ajaylee]

(sorry, double post) :shame:

 

[Quester]

8/15/14: http://www.news.com.au/world/heathe...la-von-wiesemack/story-fndir2ev-1227024982347

Hope you're ready TS ... a more painful wedgy is coming your way probably this week or next!

 

[gracehatter]

Orange Tabby, I agree. Let's see so by my count we have as possible murder weapons:

Statuette, ashtray, vase, fruit bowl, grip from fruit bowl, and now plant stand. Am I missing any, lol??

 

[Orange Tabby]

Orange Tabby, I agree. Let's see so by my count we have as possible murder weapons:

Statuette, ashtray, vase, fruit bowl, grip from fruit bowl, and now plant stand. Am I missing any, lol??

You could arm a small gang with all that weaponry!

(But to make that story work, Tommy and Heather would have to explain where these thugs got their invisibility cloaks.)

 

[Kamille]

Thanks Kamille, for some reason I can't quote and reply. Yes, the side note does appear to be rife with errors, sorry! No, I agree we haven't heard what hotel they were in first and I couldn't find a hotel by the name of The Simanyak either. Where did you find the airline SWM flew on? At this point, I don't know what to believe. Is anyone able to tell me whether or not Mr. Elkin is still working on behalf of Heather's unborn child (cough, cough)? I will be thinking of HM on 10-11-14 since my husband's birthday is the day before but we will celebrate it on Saturday when our kids come home.

Tag on the offending piece of blood covered luggage when it was being displayed in front of the police station was Cathay Pacific. As all airline tags that are not the one you're travelling on have to come off before you check in your luggage, it's safe to assume this is the airline she travelled on.

Mr Elkin was not working on behalf of the unborn child. He arranged for his good friend and colleague Vanessa Favia to take care of that.

MOO

 

[Kamille]

:dunno:

* * *

... a metal plant stand ...

http://www.oakpark.com/News/Article...der-took-place-after-victim-used-racial-slur/

That is some terrible journalism right there. And even the commenters are confused. It's like a big game of telephone tag.

SMH

 

[Quester]

Anyone know the significance, if any, of the blue bracelet TS wears? TIA

8/15/14: http://www.news.com.au/world/heathe...la-von-wiesemack/story-fndir2ev-1227024982347