GUILTY Bali - Sheila von Wiese Mack, 62, found dead in suitcase, 12 Aug 2014 #4

[Curious Me]

It really riles me that HM wants to forget she helped put her murdered mother in a suitcase. The reality is SWM, a loving mother and upstanding citizen who has lived a good life, has been reduced to having a suitcase connected to their name and image forever more.

How can Heather not break down crying or showing any upset sitting in court with that suitcase in front of her? What a monster daughter she turned out to be. Her mother wanted to take her to Bali for a nice vacation!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-shown-suitcase-stuffed-mother-s-body-in.html
"Heavily pregnant Mack (right), 19, and Tommy Schaefer (second from left), 21, sit in the court room in front of what is believed to be the suitcase they are accused of using to hide the body of von Wiese-Mack"

 

[Kamille]

What possible justification do Mackoff and Cohen have for $119,000 to be released to an Indonesian attorney?

I don't recall hearing anything about an itemized bill. Just a threatening email. WW and any other living relatives of Sheila must be just shaking their heads in disgust.

I know I am. :notgood:

MOO

 

[FormerOakParker]

Somehow, I am doubtful that HM and Ary/Ray will be satisfied with just $150,000. It will be interesting to see what they do after the remaining $41,000 is paid...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-bali-suitcase-heather-mack-20150311-story.html
Earlier this year, Cohen set a $150,000 cap and required itemized bills before payment would be released.
Cook County Judge Neil Cohen on Wednesday released another nearly $44,000 from the trust to pay Mack's legal defense in Bali
…. So far, Mack's overseas attorney has been approved nearly $119,000.

Sorry. It should be $31,000 that is remaining to be paid...
But what will ever be enough for dear HM and Ary/Ray?

 

[IslandLover]

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2015/03/12/bishop--offers-to-pay--for-bali-nine.html

Bishop says Australia will accept the costs for life imprisonment for AC and MS if they are spared. Relevance to HS/TM? See below. I hope someone points this out to Judge Cohen - does he really think an Australian Cabinet member would make an accusation like this in a life-or-death situation unless she was very very certain she knew what she was talking about? Under the circumstances - Bali's wounded pride - she has to be very sure indeed that the facts support her and the Indonesia government knows it.

According to an article I read the other day on the BBC website (sorry, can't find the link anymore) the lawyers for AC and MS are appealing on the grounds that the judges asked for money to commute the death sentences. If that's not an example of the bribery and corruption in the Indonesian legal system, then I don't know what is. In the same article there was a disgusting picture of some military policeman grinning for the camera with his hand on AC's shoulder while they were being transported on the plane to the prison island.

I feel sure that HM's money will buy her way out of a murder conviction.

 

[Hiandmighty]

News from the Oak Park-River Forest Patch...a re-spin of the AP and other stories, but may be worth watching for potential local comments.
http://patch.com/illinois/frankfort...utm_source=social&utm_medium=hs&utm_campaign=

Are there any comments there? "Discus is taking too long to load..."

 

[SouthAussie]

A couple of comments here .....

http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/3-11-2015/Heather-Mack:-Tommy-did-it/

 

[FormerOakParker]

TS admits the fruit bowl was a weapon, not a gift.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news-ch...stifies-victim-strangled-threatened-baby-bali
"Speaking through an interpreter, Schaefer said Mack asked him to bring a metal fruit bowl, which he hid under his shirt as a “precaution.”
"Asked by a judge why it was hidden, Schaefer answered that he was not sure whether he would use it or not to protect himself."

 

[FormerOakParker]

Why did TS reach the bowl first? Becaise it was already in his hand.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/12/us-indonesia-crime-idUSKBN0M820P20150312
"She wanted to reach for a bowl but I reached it before she did. I couldn't see so I just swung it." Mack, who is eight months pregnant, told a court hearing on Wednesday that Schaefer had killed her mother after she had threatened to kill the couple's unborn baby, according to media.

 

[Kamille]

TS admits the fruit bowl was a weapon, not a gift.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news-ch...stifies-victim-strangled-threatened-baby-bali
"Speaking through an interpreter, Schaefer said Mack asked him to bring a metal fruit bowl, which he hid under his shirt as a “precaution.”
"Asked by a judge why it was hidden, Schaefer answered that he was not sure whether he would use it or not to protect himself."

What a crock. And why would HM be asking him to bring the fruit bowl to "protect himself"? Do they realize how ridiculous this all sounds considering none of this story seems to fit into the time frame when SWM was likely sleeping? And is there one witness who can claim they heard screaming and arguing coming from that room? A maid, another hotel guest, a gardener? We are talking prime time in a hotel where there are a lot of people awake in their rooms and staff out and about starting the day. Does TS's cell phone show a call to 911? And if so I'd like to know at what time he "attempted to get help". And where is his explanation for the text messages between them in which they are deciding how to kill Sheila and what to do with the body? Or the earlier text message while they were in the US about hiring a hit man? Conveniently missing from both of their statements I see.

Well I guess it doesn't really matter what they say if the fix is already in. I have absolutely no respect for the Indonesian government or legal system. And apparently they don't really care what the rest of us think anyway.

MOO

 

[Kamille]

The Daily Mail always has lots of fun comments LOL

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...t-faces-death-firing-squad-murder-mother.html

 

[Kamille]

30 seconds is a long time to be choking someone. Especially someone much bigger and stronger than you. You'd think that would leave a mark.

http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/content/wls/images/cms/263484_1280x720.jpg

http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/f...ime-tourism_son321_44877369.jpg?itok=vqBHATfN

Such a crock.

MOO

 

[Kamille]

Looks like Ary/Ray finally made it to court. I think this is the first pic I've seen of him there.

https://s.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/V...webfeeds/b75820da458e6f0b700f6a706700e15a.jpg

 

[FormerOakParker]

The Daily Mail always has lots of fun comments LOL

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...t-faces-death-firing-squad-murder-mother.html

Absolutely NO ONE seems to believe them. Jeez, I wonder why.

 

[FormerOakParker]

$119,000 is a great motivator, no?

 

[FormerOakParker]

30 seconds is a long time to be choking someone. Especially someone much bigger and stronger than you. You'd think that would leave a mark.

http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/content/wls/images/cms/263484_1280x720.jpg

http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/f...ime-tourism_son321_44877369.jpg?itok=vqBHATfN

Such a crock.

MOO

They can't seem to keep all their lies straight, and don't seem to care that they sound ridiculous. Why did TS think he'd need a weapon, why a fruit bowl, why would anyone believe that an older lady, half his size could possibly be a threat?
It's almost as though anyone associated with HM is drinking the Kool Aid and is infected with "crazy."

 

[ajaylee]

$119,000 is a great motivator, no?

The disbursements are interesting. The judge originally said there would be three $50K payouts, two weeks apart. The first payout was immediate, the second and third depended on satisfactory itemized bills.

Instead, there was the original $50K payout, then a second $25K payout weeks later (when HM was going all 'suicidal'), and now a $45K payout. Presumably the 2nd and third payouts were less than $50K because something in the itemized bills didn't fly.

I think we all know that Soenardi is determined to get all $150K (if not more).

1) it will be interesting to see how Soenardi gets the rest of 'his' money.

2) it will be interesting to see when (if) WW is put back in charge of the trust. At the end of the trial? If not, we know HM will try to get major $$$ out of Mackoff to get herself and Stella back to the US and set up in posh accommodations. It was a brilliant move by WW to sell the condo. I'm sure HS and TM assumed that when they got back to Chicago, they'd be living large. Now HM doesn't have anywhere to go when she gets back. OTOH, are there sufficient legal grounds to permanently remove WW as trustee? HM would love that.

3) If TS wants to appeal, he's going to have to get the money from HM. It's hard to see her getting that kind of money from Mackoff, especially if he's doing any sort of due diligence in managing the trust. That's too much money to bury under 'monthly living costs'.

 

[ajaylee]

For $150K, you can get away with a lot of 'crazy'.

It gives everybody in the system a thin veil of 'plausible deniability'. They pretend to believe the story and that justifies the soft sentences.

No one points out one of the most obvious, glaring point: even if true, it doesn't matter what words came out of SWM's mouth - you do not beat people to death because you don't like their words. You walk away. This is in no way 'justifiable' or even 'mitigated' - well, not in an honest and competent court of law.

 

[FormerOakParker]

The disbursements are interesting. The judge originally said there would be three $50K payouts, two weeks apart. The first payout was immediate, the second and third depended on satisfactory itemized bills.

Instead, there was the original $50K payout, then a second $25K payout weeks later (when HM was going all 'suicidal'), and now a $45K payout. Presumably the 2nd and third payouts were less than $50K because something in the itemized bills didn't fly.

I think we all know that Soenardi is determined to get all $150K (if not more).

1) it will be interesting to see how Soenardi gets the rest of 'his' money.

2) it will be interesting to see when (if) WW is put back in charge of the trust. At the end of the trial? If not, we know HM will try to get major $$$ out of Mackoff to get herself and Stella back to the US and set up in posh accommodations. It was a brilliant move by WW to sell the condo. I'm sure HS and TM assumed that when they got back to Chicago, they'd be living large. Now HM doesn't have anywhere to go when she gets back. OTOH, are there sufficient legal grounds to permanently remove WW as trustee? HM would love that.

3) If TS wants to appeal, he's going to have to get the money from HM. It's hard to see her getting that kind of money from Mackoff, especially if he's doing any sort of due diligence in managing the trust. That's too much money to bury under 'monthly living costs'.

2) I think HM will do all she can to have WW permanently removed as trustee. He represents a significant threat to her money, her freedom, her cushy lifestyle with Stella and TS sailing into the sunset. Maybe they can come back to the US and make some more "put 'em in the coffin" videos too.

 

[ajaylee]

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/tommy-schaefer-heather-mack-bali-indonesia-suitcase-homicide-295933191.html

I'm getting whiplash trying to keep up with inconsistencies in reporting.

Judge Neil Cohen said he wants Mack to be healthy but that he is “not going to pay for her to be happy.”

Cohen has raised concerns about alleged corruption in the Bali court system and is keeping a close eye on what ultimately gets paid to Mack’s defense attorney, Ary Soenardi. Cohen said he would authorize Mack's trust to pay Soenardi a lesser amount, $43,750, not the $52,428 that the attorney is demanding in the next of a series of payments previously determined not to exceed $150,000. There is now $74,720 left in the fund used to pay Soenardi's legal expenses.

“That doesn’t just concern me, it concerns me greatly,” Cohen said. “The expenses will be legitimate expenses for the trial of Heather Mack only.”

(bolding mine). Is this the same Judge Cohen who took WW off the trust, essentially accused him of being a gold-digger, refused to admit that corruption in Indonesia was a possibility absent conclusive proof, threatened a lawyer with contempt just for bringing the subject up?

Cohen wanted to be the knight in shining armor, rushing in to protect helpless lil' HM from her mean, greedy uncle - except he got completely suckered, looks like a gullible fool, and owes WW an apology, IMHO. Better late than never, but still....

 

[FormerOakParker]

For $150K, you can get away with a lot of 'crazy'.

It gives everybody in the system a thin veil of 'plausible deniability'. They pretend to believe the story and that justifies the soft sentences.

No one points out one of the most obvious, glaring point: even if true, it doesn't matter what words came out of SWM's mouth - you do not beat people to death because you don't like their words. You walk away. This is in no way 'justifiable' or even 'mitigated' - well, not in an honest and competent court of law.

Yes, $150,000 can buy a whole lotta crazy, and I anticipate that she'll be hitting up Judge Cohen for much, much more. I also think you are on to something with the money "gives everybody in the system a thin veil of 'plausible deniability'." This is so at odds with the rest of the world where NO ONE seems to believe their ever-changing accounts.