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

[Kamille]

For once I'm glad I wasn't on the computer, the temptation to look would have been too great. LE has never identified what clothing SWM had on but the description 'half naked body" has been consistent. If a body had on a pair of pants and a top as you guys are describing would some one call that half naked if the clothing had just ridden up or down? If she was wearing that does that mean she had not dressed for bed yet? I keep thinking a nightgown worn sans underwear that was all bunched up once they had actually managed to get the body in the suitcase would easily account for the half naked statement.

If we're talking about the picture in this article, this woman is very much alive and was trying to cross the border smuggled in a suitcase.

http://www.examiner.com/article/wom...als-catch-illegal-immigrant-hiding-a-suitcase

 

[Quester]

Here's another pic of 'the' suitcase from another angle. We can see that it doesn't close anymore by the gape at the top.

Hmmm - could the zipper material part have ripped?

 

[Quester]

If we're talking about the picture in this article, this woman is very much alive and was trying to cross the border smuggled in a suitcase.

http://www.examiner.com/article/wom...als-catch-illegal-immigrant-hiding-a-suitcase

Yes, that's the same photo ... good find ... so it was not related to this case but the photo is interesting as a shape comparison to the yellow plastic wrapped item in the large suitcase. JMO

 

[Orange Tabby]

Someone was interested recently in the local news clip which included an interview with Ramsey Lewis. It's got no real info that's new, although he does say they travelled a lot, perhaps meaning that in addition to annual exotic vacations they travelled extensively in the U.S. (to music festivals?) He says he knew James Mack only through music. But Ramsey Lewis is interesting all by his lonesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZo-IEl5qn8

 

[Orange Tabby]

I'll have to catch up tomorrow. At least, I can go to bed relieved that the blunt has been found.

Great job and Orange Tabby wins the prize! No, it's not a blunt, it's a crown!

Here it is, the royal blunt finder crown. :goldcrown:

:giggle: I get silly late at night after 3 a.m........................................fftobed:

Wow, thanks Curious Me. That crown's got lots of bling! There is a problem -- You know what it do: it go to my head!

 

[FormerOakParker]

If we're talking about the picture in this article, this woman is very much alive and was trying to cross the border smuggled in a suitcase.

http://www.examiner.com/article/wom...als-catch-illegal-immigrant-hiding-a-suitcase

Yes. Should have stopped to read the caption. Explains why the picture shows a fully clothed woman with legs/feet beneath her, rather a crushed half-naked women with legs bent around her head as reported by media here:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...U-S-socialite-mother-Bali-help-boyfriend.html

 

[Quester]

OK ... it's just past 5:30am Monday in Bali.

Are HM & TS waking up in jail or in prison?

* * *

ETA: I bet 2 rice crackers they will be held in jail for the max time, until 11/13.

 

[ajaylee]

If I recall correctly, the same lawyer was originally assigned to both TS and HM. HM replaced him, then TS fired him/he quit over a conflict. I think the police assumption was that both would have no choice but to confess and divvy up the blame however they chose. It may not be that simple, now that they both have their own legal representation.

I wonder if they'll be tried together or they will be given separate trials?

Does anyone know if it is standard for the FBI to get involved in American-on-American violence overseas?

I've been thinking about the video clip when the police were in HM and TS's hotel room arresting them, when HM says something like "He was supposed to take us to the embassy". I wonder if they pre-booked a taxi, whether or not to go to the embassy, and that caused the hotel staff to call the police before HM and TS took off.

 

[gracehatter]

Does anyone know if it is standard for the FBI to get involved in American-on-American violence overseas? that caused the hotel staff to call the police before HM and TS took off.

Yes, it is, there are FBI legate or attaches that are agents in residence all over the world. You can find a list on the FBI website. Here is description of their role:

Their core mission is to establish and maintain liaison with principal law enforcement and security
services in designated foreign countries. This liaison enables the FBI to effectively and expeditiously conduct its responsibilities in combating international terrorism, organized crime, cyber crime, and general criminal matters. In particular, legat liaison activities are essential to the successful fulfillment
overseas of the FBI’s lead federal law enforcement mission to prevent terrorist attacks against citizens and interests of the United States. Liaison is carried out in accordance with executive orders, statutes,
treaties, Attorney General Guidelines, FBI policies, and interagency agreements. The legal attaché
program provides for a prompt and continuous exchange of information with foreign law enforcement and security agencies and coordination with U.S. federal law enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction over
the matters under investigation. Our foreign-based personnel also assist foreign agencies with requests for investigative assistance in the U.S. to encourage reciprocal assistance in counterterrorism, criminal,
and other investigative matters.

From what I read TS requested a voucher to use the internet using his own name and the staff recognized it as one of the names being broadcast on the BOLO and they then called the police.

 

[SouthAussie]

There is an article here about FBI involvement when an American is harmed overseas (presumably by another American or otherwise). In a case like this, I think there would be very limited involvement of the FBI - probably just to check out the likelihood of a gang of six men murdering Sheila and ensure that another American(s) was not being falsely accused - with the US Consulate handling the matter instead.


With the permission of the host government and in conjunction with the State Department, the FBI deploys its resources, supporting the investigative efforts of the foreign government. The size of our overseas deployments depends on the scope of the incident and what the host government requests.
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2008/june/international_060308

On foreign soil, FBI special agents generally do not have authority to make arrests except in certain cases where, with the consent of the host country, Congress has granted the FBI extraterritorial jurisdiction.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/faqs

Under international law, a foreign government that arrests a U.S. national must inform the U.S. embassy or consulate of the arrest once the U.S. national requests that they do so.
http://www.frankrubino.com/CM/InternationalCrimeInformation/FAQ-About-International-Crime.asp

If arrested abroad, a citizen must go through the foreign legal process for being charged or indicted, prosecuted, possibly convicted and sentenced, and for any appeals process. Within this framework, U.S. consular officers provide a wide variety of services to U.S. citizens arrested abroad and their families.
http://riskmanagement.nd.edu/intern...nal-travel/safety/what-does-a-u-s-embassy-do/

 

[Orange Tabby]

[SBM]I've been thinking about the video clip when the police were in HM and TS's hotel room arresting them, when HM says something like "He was supposed to take us to the embassy". I wonder if they pre-booked a taxi, whether or not to go to the embassy, and that caused the hotel staff to call the police before HM and TS took off.

The police said that the people in the area -- hotel staffs particularly? general populace? I don't recall -- had been alerted to look for the pair and they discovered Tommy’s identity when he made some kind of transaction with hotel staff in order to use the internet. Who knows if that’s true. (I wonder what names they used when they checked in? Others here have pointed out various irregularities which must have transpired when they booked into that hotel.) One of the Indonesian language videos which has been linked here (I think the one you are quoting) seems to show one or two workers from that hotel talking to a local TV reporter, so I’m guessing those staff members will be witnesses at trial.

I think Heather’s whining in that video is meant to convey something like this: “We wanted to go to the American embassy [sic -- she presumably meant consulate] but the cab driver mysteriously took us here. What could we possibly do in that case?” Or maybe she was looking to create an opening in her dialogue with police which would allow her to insist that they be taken to the consulate (“I’m an American!”) and not police headquarters.

I’ve always thought that Michael Elkin has done Heather more harm than good. For me, the “mysterious needle” marks business was the most bizarre. (How could she have gotten them without knowing, as Elkin claimed? They drugged her food or drink and subsequently injected her as well? Really?)

But Elkin’s statement that Heather phoned him before her arrest, he told her the situation was as “serious as a heart attack” and that she should go to the American consulate seems to me to really hurt rather than advance her case. If it’s true, it means Heather cannot say she didn’t know what to do. She had legal advice and she had cab fare. But instead of following the advice she apparently first went to the airport attempting to flee the country and then went to a hotel to have sex with her boyfriend followed by a good snooze. That would seem to be strong evidence of consciousness of guilt as well as complete lack of remorse.

Perhaps the full “story” is that her convo with Elkin took place after the consulate had closed for the day (and after her attempt at flight failed) and she really, honestly, truly meant to pop in the next day as soon as she’d had her morning cup of latte, but those pesky police came, cut short her beauty sleep, and arrested her instead. Poor little thing.

 

[gracehatter]

OK ... it's just past 5:30am Monday in Bali.

Are HM & TS waking up in jail or in prison?
* * *

ETA: I bet 2 rice crackers they will be held in jail for the max time, until 11/13.

I bet they stay right where they are. It's smaller and easier for the staff to keep an eye on them without worrying about the greater general population, plus they are 8 weeks in so the current caretakers have a good sense of these two and how to handle them. Even tho it's not getting a lot of press here, I would
imagine it is still considered a high profile case in Bali.
:gaah: If there is no announcement of any kind I guess I'll read the rules again. :thinking:

 

[Kamille]

I bet they stay right where they are. It's smaller and easier for the staff to keep an eye on them without worrying about the greater general population, plus they are 8 weeks in so the current caretakers have a good sense of these two and how to handle them. Even tho it's not getting a lot of press here, I would
imagine it is still considered a high profile case in Bali.
:gaah: If there is no announcement of any kind I guess I'll read the rules again. :thinking:

I'm guessing they're going nowhere until TS is matched with the Indonesian lawyer of his dreams and lets LE know he's ready to talk and make his statement of what happened. Or until the extensions run out and a charge is laid with him choosing not to say anything. I think he's got a lot of deciding to do. If he killed SWM, I don't see what the problem would be for him to go along with HM's story (which he must be aware of by now) and work at a 15yr sentence for himself with the provocation defense. But he has to explain what was under the shirt. And it has to be a good explanation because it appears that LE seem to think they know what it was. If his explanation is not reasonable, then he is seen as a liar and will not be treated favourably.

Now if they are wrong about the item under his shirt and he was called there to help after the fact, he has to admit that HM has been lying to authorities all along and she will not be treated favourably. With the history between her and her mother, I think they would have no problem charging her with premeditated murder and keeping her there for life at least. Either way, it appears that there were enough blows to SWM that she possibly could have been saved after the first one with an emergency call for help. Even an attempt to save her would have only netted one or both of them a 15yr sentence. However when someone is beaten until they are dead and then stuffed in a suitcase, and removed from the scene to be hidden, that really does have an element of premeditation in it, regardless if it was planned for any length of time or if the decision that they must die was made at the time of the first blow.

So what's it gonna be TS? I think the truth is in order here. If only his "team" could make him see that.

MOO

ETA: If TS doesn't talk and they both were to get charged with premeditated, would they both be housed in the same area of the prison and be able to see each other every day? Or would they still try to keep them apart in the prison?

 

[ItsJustaName]

I never met Shelia, but I know several people that did. They all think that Heather had a very large financial motivation to kill Shelia. There is am assumption that Shelia had some sort of substantial family money. At any rate, prior to moving into the house in Oak Park Shelia and James were living in condominium at the old Mayfair Regent on East Lake Shore Drive. At the time (1993) the least expensive unit cost over a million dollars.

 

[gracehatter]

Regarding the yellow bags, they are shown in a larger pic in this article and should settle the question of whether they contain the body of SWM or not, it looks like bloody linens to me...unless there were more yellow bags but I don't think there were. Now I cannot recall if The Daily Mail is considered a reliable journalistic source or not, however toward the end of the piece it states a worker from another hotel (implies) that a hotel employee working at the St. Regis said SWM was upset about Heather's pregnancy, so take it as you will.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...uffed-suitcase-murder-Bali-flown-Chicago.html

 

[gracehatter]

After posting about downtown Chicago and talking about how much fun it is, today this was on my FB feed...for those of you that have never been, it's pretty accurate. This for all intents and purpose was SWM and HM's neighborhood and one HM will probably never set footin again. I do take issue with one photo tho, Lake Michigan is bluest across the lake in Michigan! :loveyou:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jenniferschaffer/home-sweet-chicago#aon4p1

 

[Quester]

Regarding the yellow bags, they are shown in a larger pic in this article and should settle the question of whether they contain the body of SWM or not, it looks like bloody linens to me...unless there were more yellow bags but I don't think there were. Now I cannot recall if The Daily Mail is considered a reliable journalistic source or not, however toward the end of the piece it states a worker from another hotel (implies) that a hotel employee working at the St. Regis said SWM was upset about Heather's pregnancy, so take it as you will.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...uffed-suitcase-murder-Bali-flown-Chicago.html

:wave: You may be right, however ...

1. I've only seen, what looks like, one yellow plastic bag/material. It has been shown in a photo filled with the item/s and, in another photo, emptied of its contents.
2. Note the caption on the referenced photo: "... above, police inspect the suitcase in which her mother's body was found".
3. By zooming in as much as possible, what looks like duct tape is visible through the yellow plastic material and securing what is probably a sheet. What looks like blood is also visible near the duct tape.

Why plastic wrap linens/towels in the large suitcase but not in the other suitcases?
[Though some linens/towels may have been placed in the St R laundry bag of which we've seen a picture.]

If the yellow plastic material contained linens, why secure them with duct tape?

 

[Quester]

Daughter of woman murdered in Bali acted like a 'robot': lawyer
http://www.smh.com.au/world/daughte...cted-like-a-robot-lawyer-20141013-115k3o.html

 

[Orange Tabby]

Heather the Robot

An article in today's Sydney Morning Herald by Michael Bachelard says that Heather and Tommy offered a re-creation of the murder today and that Tommy did it all while Heather ran into the bathroom to avoid seeing the fight. She had blood on her clothes because she hugged her mother's body after she was dead.

The reconstruction took place inside room 317 of the St. Regis and was, according to lawyers, based on facts agreed by both Tommy and Heather.

Tommy's attack was prompted by Sheila using the n-word to describe Tommy as well as Heather's unborn baby. Heather says she ran into the bathroom when Tommy began attacking Sheila. Tommy hit Sheila four times with the handle of the fruit bowl. The idea to stuff the body in a suitcase was Tommy's.

The pair appear to be claiming that Sheila threatened to kill the baby and Heather also claims her mother suffered from bipolar disorder.

Excerpts:

Schaefer apparently confessed to the murder on Friday, but has said he was provoked by racist comments...

According to Mr Raja, Schaefer had only arrived at the Nusa Dua hotel from the United States at 2am on the day of the murder, and Mack, without her mother's knowledge, had gone to greet him.

The following morning at 8am, Mack ... had urged her boyfriend to visit von Wiese-Mack in her room. He had brought with him the fruit bowl — the property of the hotel — as a gift to a woman who souvenired hotel property wherever she stayed.

That was the reason he was hiding the bowl under his shirt — it was not that he intended to kill her, the lawyer said.

But inside room 317, an argument began over Mack's pregnancy. Von Wiese-Mack then made offensive comments about Schaefer and his baby both being "******s". Statements to police suggest von Wiese-Mack also threatened to kill the baby.

During the argument, as Schaefer was standing by the bed, von Wiese-Mack had her hands around his throat as if to strangle him - a scene that was re-enacted and photographed as part of Monday's reconstruction.​

The pair were reported as crying during the reconstruction.

Heather's lawyer claims that a few weeks ago, Heather was hospitalised for three days because she had been neither eating nor drinking, and a doctor was concerned she might lose the baby.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/daughte...cted-like-a-robot-lawyer-20141013-115k3o.html

 

[gracehatter]

Thanks Quester and Tabby! This is one slick piece of writing, oh, I smell the fine hands of lawyers. Hmmm...so much to take in. To what degree is provocation a mitigating factor under Bali law? Very interesting. So, let's get this straight. Shelia was up at 3:45a because she didn't know where HM was. Sooo...at some point Heather returns to 317. Sheila makes the call to the desk for her wakeup call, then HM, in short order calls TM and urges him to come visit her Mother, despite the fact SWM has approximately 1 1/4 hours of sleep, urging him to come and visit her Mother (because this makes so much sense when her Mom has asked to be awakened at 10a.m, but no matter) and to come bearing a gift because Mom is a thief and steals from the hotels they stay in anyhow. Moving on, Tommy hides the bowl, because it's a surprise gift...how thoughtful!! Once in the room, discussion begins with the bi-polar SWM calling TS racists names and tells them she is going to kill their beloved baby and then proceeds to attack TS by trying to strangle and choke him. TS, presumably, having not had time to present his peace offering, strikes the first blow at which time HM exits into the bathroom, only to come out when the deed is done and hugs her Mom's lifeless body so remorseful she is, at least this is as best she can remember it, because after all, it was all just a blur. And to top it off, she has been so grief stricken she has been unable to eat and has been hospitalized and there is great fear for the unborn baby and of course the endangerment of Heather's life.

I can't wait until I can get back in here later see how others have interpreted this article, I am by nature cynical and even more so on Mondays.