GUILTY IL - Sheila von Wiese Mack, 62, in suitcase in Bali, 12 Aug 2014 *fnd guilty in Bali* #6

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Kamille said:
I see she’s back talking to the press. I can’t believe they are offering her such a sweet deal. Once again she’s going to be way under sentenced. This was first degree pre meditated murder. She should be in prison for life. :mad:

The Post can exclusively reveal that “Suitcase Killer” Heather Mack will plead guilty in the US to her part in the brutal 2014 murder of her socialite mother during a luxury vacation in Bali.

Mack, 27, has a change of plea hearing scheduled for June 15 — six week before her trial is set to begin on Aug. 1 in Chicago.

“We were offered a good plea. First, it was 15 to 35 [years]; now they are saying zero to 25 years, including time served,” she told The Post.

[…]

“I have served nearly ten years in prison. I felt that I had done my time, so I was gung-ho for trial. Now, after sitting for so long, I know what I have to do,” Mack said of her decision to accept a plea deal.

“I’m going to be a felon in America, and that is fine. I understand from [the US government’s] perspective that, if I don’t plead guilty and they didn’t indict me, I wouldn’t be a felon. I could become a police officer and work for the government … I could carry a firearm on the street,” she added.

Mack’s attorney Michael Leonard said it is impossible to predict what sentence Mack is likely to be dealt.

“The hope is that the judge will seriously consider the time she has already served and all the underlying circumstances of her life and her relationship with her mom,” Leonard said. “Any federal criminal case requires a constant reassessment of risk and reward. Balancing risk in terms of a potential sentence and trying to minimize the risk to yourself.”





nypost.com

‘Suitcase Killer’ Heather Mack reveals she will plead guilty to mom’s murder

Mack spent seven years of a 10-year sentence in Indonesia for her role in the murder of her mother, Sheila von Wiese Mack, before being released in 2021.
nypost.com nypost.com
Click to expand...
I truly hope none of what she said is true. Otherwise she would be out in a few years. This monster needs to be locked up as long as possible.
 
Friday, June 16th:
*Change of Plea Hearing (@ 8:30am CT) –IL - Sheila von Wiese-Mack (62) (killed in Bali on Aug. 12, 2014 by daughter & her bf Tommy Schaefer at the St. Regis Bali Resort Hotel in Bali, Indonesia) - *Heather Mack (19 @ time of crime/26/now 27) Federal indictment (2017), charged & arrested (11/3/21) & arraigned (11/3/21) with conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, conspiracy to commit foreign murder of a U.S. national & obstruction of justice. Plead not guilty (11/3/21). Held without bond. Denied bond on 12/8/22.
Bench trial began on 9/6/22 for custody of Stella & ended on 11/18/22 with Cook County Judge Stephanie Miller ordering temporary care of Stella to Lisa Hellman, whose mother is/was sister of Sheila.
Federal Trial set to begin on 8/1/23 is now tentatively scheduled due to a change of plea hearing pending. Defense attorney Michael Leonard.
Info on Mack’s previous crime & case info from 11/12/21 thru 6/29/22 & Bench Trial Day 1-25 (9/6/22 to 10/7/22) & thru 5/10/23 reference post #647 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...-aug-2014-fnd-guilty-in-bali-6.593581/page-33
5/27/23 Update: Next telephone conference hearing on 6/1/23 @ 8:45am.
6/1/23 Update: In a brief telephone status hearing at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Thursday, prosecutors said that they had made “significant progress” in plea negotiations, though the language of the deal was still being finalized. Mack plans to plead guilty, her attorney said. The details of any plea agreement or potential penalties under discussion by Mack & U.S. prosecutors remain unclear. Her attorney, Michael Leonard, said Mack's defense has been in negotiations with federal prosecutors “over the last several weeks” ahead of her trial set to begin 8/1/23. “We anticipate that the parties will be in a position to enter a written plea agreement & proceed with a change of plea hearing on 6/15/23,” Leonard said. Prosecutors also told a judge Thursday they expect Mack will plead guilty but the parties were still negotiating. Part of the plea negotiation with Mack's attorney Jeff Steinbeck includes reducing the indictment to a single conspiracy charge. Contracting multiple charges to one, usually the most nominal offense, is standard practice for the Dept. of Justice. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly set a change of plea hearing for 6/15/23 & scrapped all deadlines for pretrial motions. The judge did keep the 8/1/23 trial date intact, however, in case the deal falls through.
6/9/23 Update: Change of plea hearing has been rescheduled on 6/16/23 @ 8:30am.
 
ktla.com

Heather Mack, convicted in Bali of killing mom and stuffing body in suitcase, pleads guilty in US

CHICAGO (AP) — The American woman accused of helping to kill her mother and stuffing her body in a suitcase during a luxury vacation to Bali nine years ago changed her plea to guilty in Chicago fed…
ktla.com ktla.com
Click to expand...
Mack stood before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly in orange jail garb and orange slippers as he asked her questions. She spoke confidently and calmly as the judge asked whether she was giving up her right to remain silent at the motion hearing. “Yes, your honor,” Mack responded from a podium.

After the judge explained the charge against her, Mack pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to kill a U.S. national.

The change-of-plea hearing is the latest chapter in a story that garnered international attention in part because of photographs of the suitcase, which seemed too small to hold an adult woman’s body. Mack’s Chicago trial on conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and obstruction of justice had been set for Aug. 1.

The judge set a Dec. 18 sentencing date for Mack. Her plea deal calls for a sentence of no more than 28 years.
 
ifindedout said:
Mack stood before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly in orange jail garb and orange slippers as he asked her questions. She spoke confidently and calmly as the judge asked whether she was giving up her right to remain silent at the motion hearing. “Yes, your honor,” Mack responded from a podium.

After the judge explained the charge against her, Mack pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to kill a U.S. national.

The change-of-plea hearing is the latest chapter in a story that garnered international attention in part because of photographs of the suitcase, which seemed too small to hold an adult woman’s body. Mack’s Chicago trial on conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and obstruction of justice had been set for Aug. 1.

The judge set a Dec. 18 sentencing date for Mack. Her plea deal calls for a sentence of no more than 28 years.
Click to expand...

Geez - sentence her already... December?? :(

edited to add - thanks for the article! :)
 
Her plea agreement is included in this article.

chicago.suntimes.com

Heather Mack pleads guilty to plotting mother’s 2014 killing in Bali

Despite a deal with prosecutors, Mack seems to face a wide range of outcomes when she is sentenced. Prosecutors have taken the position that she should not be credited for the time she spent imprisoned in Indonesia. Mack’s lawyers disagree.
chicago.suntimes.com chicago.suntimes.com
 
BUF said:
Her plea agreement is included in this article.
chicago.suntimes.com

Heather Mack pleads guilty to plotting mother’s 2014 killing in Bali

Despite a deal with prosecutors, Mack seems to face a wide range of outcomes when she is sentenced. Prosecutors have taken the position that she should not be credited for the time she spent imprisoned in Indonesia. Mack’s lawyers disagree.
chicago.suntimes.com chicago.suntimes.com
Click to expand...
Thank You. Yes, she has a plea agreement, but the Judge may not accept the terms. So, her sentence is still up in the air until December. May she squirm with worry and fear waiting to find out her sentence.

MOO here, and just a reminder of all the horrible, evil things Heather did, in case anyone forgot. After years of emotional abuse to her mother, she arranged and took part in the murder of Sheila who only wanted to keep trying to mend their relationship. Sheila ended up dead in a foreign country, crammed into a suitcase, while thinking she was on a fun vacation with her daughter.

Heather's crimes are atrocious. Remember, she avoided being put to death in front of a Firing Squad, so she should really consider herself lucky if her sentence and time amounts to 28 yrs. or less. Serving time, a lengthy sentence, may be the only way to ever get Heather to feel anything even close to remorse and regret. ​
 
Curious Me said:
Thank You. Yes, she has a plea agreement, but the Judge may not accept the terms. So, her sentence is still up in the air until December. May she squirm with worry and fear waiting to find out her sentence.

MOO here, and just a reminder of all the horrible, evil things Heather did, in case anyone forgot. After years of emotional abuse to her mother, she arranged and took part in the murder of Sheila who only wanted to keep trying to mend their relationship. Sheila ended up dead in a foreign country, crammed into a suitcase, while thinking she was on a fun vacation with her daughter.

Heather's crimes are atrocious. Remember, she avoided being put to death in front of a Firing Squad, so she should really consider herself lucky if her sentence and time amounts to 28 yrs. or less. Serving time, a lengthy sentence, may be the only way to ever get Heather to feel anything even close to remorse and regret. ​
Click to expand...
She did all that and so much more. I really wish the judge would refuse the deal and send this to trial where she could spend 40 years to life in a real prison if convicted, but we know that won’t happen so I can only hope she gets exactly 28 years with no credit for time served. Unfortunately, she has some incredible luck on her side so I’m not expecting anything even close to that. Technically, she hasn’t done any time in a real prison and still hasn’t been held accountable for anything she has done.

MOO
 
ALL THIS to bring her back to basically give her just a conspiracy charge? And doesn't that now mean since she did NOT commit murder (Right!!!!) she can SELL her story and make money off of it now? THIS is what she wanted. Money... all along. VERY VERY disappointed in whomever is behind this. She as so much as admitted she was part of the murder. I can't believe Sheila's relatives are agreeing to the plea deal. Poor Stella. She'll never be out of the news now.
 
www.oakpark.com

Tommy Schaefer could return to U.S. by 2026 - Oak Park

Tommy Schaefer, currently serving an 18-year prison sentence in Bali for the murder of Sheila von Wiese, could be released from Indonesian custody and return to the United States as early as spring of 2026.In a recent interview with Australian journalist Dave Smith on the news.com website...
www.oakpark.com www.oakpark.com

July 3, 2023

Tommy Schaefer, currently serving an 18-year prison sentence in Bali for the murder of Sheila von Wiese, could be released from Indonesian custody and return to the United States as early as spring of 2026.


In a recent interview with Australian journalist Dave Smith on the news.com website, Schaefer acknowledged his part in von Wiese’s brutal murder in 2014, but called his federal indictment for conspiracy to murder von Wiese “vengeful.” He also reiterated his contention that he never meant to kill her until a heated argument took place in her hotel room.
[.....]
Schaefer’s claim he had no intention of harming von Wiese is rebutted by text evidence between him, his former girlfriend, Mack, and his cousin, Robert Bibbs, showing clear intent to kill von Wiese for weeks before the murder, right up to the moment he entered her hotel room.


Prosecutors allege that, rather than being killed during an argument, von Wiese was viciously ambushed by Schaefer and Mack as she lay in her bed.
[.....]
As he has done before, Schaefer said he has experienced personal growth that mitigates against further punishment, telling Smith, “I feel the indictment is vengeful because of the man I have become.” God, he said, “has made me sharp and stable.”


But others say Schaefer is anything but stable. Veteran journalist Andrea Dixon has traveled the world researching a book on the Bali murder and Mack, Schaefer and von Wiese. She has visited Kerobokan Prison numerous times, and while Schaefer has repeatedly refused to speak with her, other inmates have spoken with her about Schaefer. Those inmates, she said, “sing a similar tune.”


“Tommy is delusional. He thinks he is a prophet of God one minute and the next minute he is deeply paranoid and hides in his cell,” Dixon said. Schaefer’s fellow inmates also told Dixon that, in recent months, he appears to have come into money.
[.....]
Schaefer likely has less than three years remaining to enjoy the relative freedom of prison life on Bali to which he has grown accustomed. The Indonesian government routinely issues annual sentence “remissions” to most prisoners for good behavior. They usually are granted on Indonesian Independence Day in August. Additional remissions can be granted on other significant days, such as the end of the observance of Ramadan.

Smith noted, “Schaefer has already had four years and two months shaved off his sentence, and in August he will receive another six-month reduction.” With effectively 18 months off his sentence annually, Schaefer can expect release as early as April of 2026, and possibly earlier.
 
What an idiot TS is. Any sympathy he may have gained as a possible victim of HM’s manipulation was blown away in that interview. Hope he chooses to go the trial route with those delusions and ends up doing life in a US prison after his return.

MOO
 
With the plea deal for HM. will she be able to profit from media and stories/movies related to the crime? Murderers cannot, but conspiracy? I think she's doing whatever she can to make sure she makes the money from this.... with her 'friend' from California and/or attorneys.
 
Kakidoll said:
With the plea deal for HM. will she be able to profit from media and stories/movies related to the crime? Murderers cannot, but conspiracy? I think she's doing whatever she can to make sure she makes the money from this.... with her 'friend' from California and/or attorneys.
Click to expand...

I can only guess that any attempt to include HM (for money) in any story or documentary would be to tell the story from her point of view which we know would just be a bunch of lies and a ploy for sympathy. I don’t think anyone would need her input to tell this story at this point and you can’t really tell “her story” because it changes constantly and is built on a foundation of lies. I would hope that “Aunt Diana” and her documentary connection friends have had a complete change of mind in regards to anything that gives HM a platform to spew more lies about her life with her mother after hearing about what she actually did and all the lies she’s told about it so far.

That said, I suppose she could profit if anyone is foolish enough to pay her up front for interviews full of lies. I really can’t see a lot of interest in it though and I could see Sheila’s family trying to block anything out of respect for Stella and her right to privacy.

MOO
 
Kakidoll said:
ALL THIS to bring her back to basically give her just a conspiracy charge? And doesn't that now mean since she did NOT commit murder (Right!!!!) she can SELL her story and make money off of it now? THIS is what she wanted. Money... all along. VERY VERY disappointed in whomever is behind this. She as so much as admitted she was part of the murder. I can't believe Sheila's relatives are agreeing to the plea deal. Poor Stella. She'll never be out of the news now.
Click to expand...


In fairness, they didn't 'bring' her back, Indonesia kicked her out and she had nowhere else to go. She did not want to come back and planned to stay in Bali but Bali did not give her that choice. IIRC, Bibbs got 8+ years. She deserves at least double that because she was the instigator of the whole plot.

I'm not proud of it, but I take satisfaction in thinking about her departure from Indonesia. She had just told someone she didn't plan to get a job for at least six months (going to live off Stella's money) and she was looking forward to little things like shopping. I would really like to have seen the look on her face when she deplaned in Chicago and realized the police were there waiting for her. I think she really thought she'd come back to the States and eventually maybe possibly get charged. I imagine she was even unhappier when she realized that all her tantrums weren't going to get her bail.

She was always so eager to get on Instagram (until she had to quit because it really was getting her in trouble in Bali). I'd sure like to see her borrow a phone and post some pictures of her current accommodations (which I think are probably pretty good compared to what is waiting for her post-conviction).
 
Last edited:
Kamille said:
What an idiot TS is. Any sympathy he may have gained as a possible victim of HM’s manipulation was blown away in that interview. Hope he chooses to go the trial route with those delusions and ends up doing life in a US prison after his return.

MOO
Click to expand...

I wonder if the money he's suddenly getting is from someone in the media who wants to 'buy' his story.
 
Kamille said:
I see she’s back talking to the press. I can’t believe they are offering her such a sweet deal. Once again she’s going to be way under sentenced. This was first degree pre meditated murder. She should be in prison for life. :mad:

The Post can exclusively reveal that “Suitcase Killer” Heather Mack will plead guilty in the US to her part in the brutal 2014 murder of her socialite mother during a luxury vacation in Bali.

Mack, 27, has a change of plea hearing scheduled for June 15 — six week before her trial is set to begin on Aug. 1 in Chicago.

“We were offered a good plea. First, it was 15 to 35 [years]; now they are saying zero to 25 years, including time served,” she told The Post.

[…]

“I have served nearly ten years in prison. I felt that I had done my time, so I was gung-ho for trial. Now, after sitting for so long, I know what I have to do,” Mack said of her decision to accept a plea deal.

“I’m going to be a felon in America, and that is fine. I understand from [the US government’s] perspective that, if I don’t plead guilty and they didn’t indict me, I wouldn’t be a felon. I could become a police officer and work for the government … I could carry a firearm on the street,” she added.

Mack’s attorney Michael Leonard said it is impossible to predict what sentence Mack is likely to be dealt.

“The hope is that the judge will seriously consider the time she has already served and all the underlying circumstances of her life and her relationship with her mom,” Leonard said. “Any federal criminal case requires a constant reassessment of risk and reward. Balancing risk in terms of a potential sentence and trying to minimize the risk to yourself.”





nypost.com

‘Suitcase Killer’ Heather Mack reveals she will plead guilty to mom’s murder

Mack spent seven years of a 10-year sentence in Indonesia for her role in the murder of her mother, Sheila von Wiese Mack, before being released in 2021.
nypost.com nypost.com
Click to expand...
The judge "seriously considering her relationship with her mom"? As a mitigating circumstance?!! I would hope that the judge is seriously considering her physical attacks on her mother for years before the Bali trip!
 
Kemug said:
The judge "seriously considering her relationship with her mom"? As a mitigating circumstance?!! I would hope that the judge is seriously considering her physical attacks on her mother for years before the Bali trip!
Click to expand...
I am sick and tired of our injustice system- nothing (like light sentences and early parole for cold blooded killers) should surprise us anymore! Despite not being surprised though, I am sickened by these sentences: what is wrong with these judges? I think they live in ivory towers-- away from the dangers of every day life---or they are just too lenient for reasons we don't understand.
 
I think it might be like here in Australia. No room in the gaols so they get a slap on the wrist or let out early.
They also keep getting bail for new charges when they are already on bail.
Looking at America. There are so many given life without parole. Where do they put them?
Are they constantly building new gaols? MOO
 
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