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

[SouthAussie]

Well, that's it for me. Hoping that you have something published in the US while we are snoozing tonight .... fftobed:

 

[Orange Tabby]

The Trial, Day 1 of Evidence – Daily Mail

The Daily Mail story I linked to upthread as being a re-hash of the Chicago Tribune interview with Heather has been updated to include a few references to the first day of evidence in the trial.

Excerpts:

A heavily pregnant American teenage has told how she misses her mother, as the suitcase the socialite's body was found stuffed inside was pictured for the first time.

[Note: this is typical Daily Mail confusion or sloppiness. They are combining Heather’s Chicago Tribune telephone interview statement with something they say happened today during the trial. The Mail has no shame. -- Orange Tabby]

The strain showed on the 19-year-old's face as she listened through an Indonesian interpreter as her trial on the resort island of Bali started.

The grey coloured suitcase and some blood stained sheets were presented as evidence on the opening day of the case.

Witnesses are now due to start giving evidence in the case against Mack today.​

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...i-opens-relationship-murder-trial-begins.html

If we're lucky, a reliable report will be published soon.

 

[Orange Tabby]

Like SouthAussie, I think I may have to give up for now. I have no idea why there is no written report anywhere, particularly as Firdia Lisnawati of the Associated Press was there today. Many of the photos we've already seen were taken by her (him?).

There have been reports today from the Robert Ellis trial (the case where the Indonesian wife allegedly hired locals to kill her Australian husband), so I can't see that the silence is due to some kind of rule against reporting. Very puzzling.

 

[Kamille]

Here are a couple of pictures of the evidence, a witness and you can see Tommy and Heather sitting off to the side with their translator while this witness is giving testimony. So it does appear that they will be together for this part of the trial so that the witnesses only testify once?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...i-opens-relationship-murder-trial-begins.html

 

[Kamille]

As you can see there are two suitcases that are a matching set. And ironically one of them is missing a wheel. Some of you may remember the duct tape convos we had where I said that savvy travellers carry duct tape for just such an occurrence during transit.

So which one had SWM's body in it? You would assume it is the one on the ground open with the missing wheel. But would it have stood up outside the police station when they had it on display with a missing wheel? Did the wheel break after the fact while it was in evidence? Hard to tell from the angle but perhaps it is the smaller case and was stuffed with the bloody sheets. Perhaps that's the one that TS was seen walking up the flights of stairs to his room with? And he was carrying it because it had a broken wheel? You'll notice that the accordion centre does not seem to be expanded on that one but does seem to be expanded on the other one in the background.

The canvas type one was definitely Tommy's I think. Looks like it's stuffed to the max with all his stuff and maybe HM's too? Is that the one they packed to take on the run? But then again, didn't the hotel they checked into say they had no luggage?

We need more pics!!

MOO

 

[Kamille]

Hahahahaha ... how could I resist this one??! Not even reducing the size of it! I notice that she couldn't quite squeeze a tear out though, despite the look of 'anguish'.

But I ordered pepperoni and cheese :tantrum:

 

[gracehatter]

Is that the one they packed to take on the run? But then again, didn't the hotel they checked into say they had no luggage?


MOO

Yes, news accounts stated they had no luggage.

 

[Weezer Fan]

Hello Websleuthers! I am a long time lurker, but had something to contribute today, so here I am!!

Here is a link about HM's attorney Scifo asking to be removed from the case. It also says, "A woman purporting to be Heather Mack, who stands accused of killing her mother in Bali, called a Cook County judge’s clerk three times Wednesday to tell the judge she has fired her local attorneys."

The interesting thing is, there is also a motion listed to "Disqualify Vanessa Favia" . It appears to be submitted by Benjamin Mackoff, the Special Interim Trustee. Here are a few takes from the motion:

- On Jan 15, 2015 Vanessa Favia was an initiator of filing HM's Emergency Motion for Disbursement of Trust Funds.
- "As such, Vanessa Favia cannot appear on behalf of Heather Mack and her Unborn Child. Such representation presents an untenable conflict of interest."
- "a person who intentionally and unjustifiably causes the death of another shall not receive any property, benefit or other interest by reason of the death...The property, benefit or other interest shall pass as if the person causing the death died before the decedent...".
- The "slayer Statute" is not triggered until further order of court in this matter... However, the possibility that HM will be excluded as a beneficiary of the SVW Trust...and said sole beneficiary designation would then pass to the Unborn Child creates an untenable conflict of interest for Vanessa Favia as counsel for both mother and unborn child".

- "Wherefore, the Special Interim Trustee for the purposes of payment for Indonesian counsel for HM, Benjamin Mackoff, respectfully requests that this Honorable Court enter an Order disqualifying VF from representing Plaintiff, HM, and the interest of HM's Unborn Child in this matter....

Then, the next page has the order that VF is granted leave to file her appearance counsel for HM's Unborn Child.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/254711303/Mack-Motions
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news-ch...-woman-accused-killing-mother-bali-wants-case

 

[Kamille]

Hello Websleuthers! I am a long time lurker, but had something to contribute today, so here I am!!

Here is a link about HM's attorney Scifo asking to be removed from the case. It also says, "A woman purporting to be Heather Mack, who stands accused of killing her mother in Bali, called a Cook County judge’s clerk three times Wednesday to tell the judge she has fired her local attorneys."

The interesting thing is, there is also a motion listed to "Disqualify Vanessa Favia" . It appears to be submitted by Benjamin Mackoff, the Special Interim Trustee. Here are a few takes from the motion:

- On Jan 15, 2015 Vanessa Favia was an initiator of filing HM's Emergency Motion for Disbursement of Trust Funds.
- "As such, Vanessa Favia cannot appear on behalf of Heather Mack and her Unborn Child. Such representation presents an untenable conflict of interest."
- "a person who intentionally and unjustifiably causes the death of another shall not receive any property, benefit or other interest by reason of the death...The property, benefit or other interest shall pass as if the person causing the death died before the decedent...".
- The "slayer Statute" is not triggered until further order of court in this matter... However, the possibility that HM will be excluded as a beneficiary of the SVW Trust...and said sole beneficiary designation would then pass to the Unborn Child creates an untenable conflict of interest for Vanessa Favia as counsel for both mother and unborn child".

- "Wherefore, the Special Interim Trustee for the purposes of payment for Indonesian counsel for HM, Benjamin Mackoff, respectfully requests that this Honorable Court enter an Order disqualifying VF from representing Plaintiff, HM, and the interest of HM's Unborn Child in this matter....

Then, the next page has the order that VF is granted leave to file her appearance counsel for HM's Unborn Child.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/254711303/Mack-Motions
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news-ch...-woman-accused-killing-mother-bali-wants-case

Welcome Weezer Fan! :welcome:

Great sleuthing! I see Ms Favia is trying to circumvent all kinds of legal boundaries to get her money. Or more appropriately, get at Sheila's money. Remember this is the same attorney who set up a crowdsourcing fund raiser site in the name of a Christian charity that is also in her name to provide funds to the mother of an unborn child who is currently up on charges of murdering her own mother. She's got ethics coming out the wazoo that one.

Okay off to do some reading. But just by skimming, what attorney uses gmail as their official email account? :notgood:

Orange Tabby is going to have a field day with these.

MOO

 

[Hiandmighty]

Juicy! Im going to have to read that a couple of more times.

1) why is HM firing all her attys?

2) she wanted flavia to be her atty?

3) Mackoff is the retired judge in Chicago?

 

[Kamille]

I see VF's husband set her up with a website back in September...

http://vanessafavia.com/

http://whois.domaintools.com/vanessafavia.com

I guess she is using this case to try to launch a solo career? Good luck with that.

So what happened to ME? Why didn't he apply to the courts for HM's money instead of the "baby's attorney"? Maybe he really was canned by HM? Which is how Scifo got involved?

MOO

 

[Kamille]

The motion for Scifo to withdraw is rich...

http://www.scribd.com/doc/254711303/Mack-Motions

A breakdown in communications just before this was to go to trial and he didn't get her all her money. Her attitude, you know what it do.

:floorlaugh:

MOO

 

[Weezer Fan]

There was an emergency court hearing this morning where "Cook County Judge Neil Cohen informed attorneys involved in Heather Mack's $1.56 million trust fund case that a female who identified herself as Mack called his office Wednesday asking to speak to him....The judge's law clerk said she answered three calls, beginning at 9 a.m.,..."She called back moments later and volunteered that she had fired her attorneys yesterday, and explained that she currently has no attorneys and doesn't know how to speak to the judge," according to the law clerk's written statement, which was read in court........In the third call, the woman who claimed to be Mack "mentioned that she was in Indonesia and has no money, no one to call, and no attorneys and doesn't know what to do."

The judge last month ordered the release of three weekly payments totaling $150,000.

But, the judge said, the second and third payment would not be released without itemized bills. The interim trustee in the case said he has not received any such billing statements."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...defendant-calls-judge-met-20150204-story.html

 

[Kamille]

What is 69 W Washington?

http://chicago.suntimes.com/news-ch...-woman-accused-killing-mother-bali-wants-case

 

[Quester]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/oak-park/news/ct-bali-defendant-calls-judge-met-20150204-story.html

Possible captions anyone?

~~~

Stella's hungry and your fingers pointing up look like french fries. :giggle:
​

 

[Hiandmighty]

I see VF's husband set her up with a website back in September...

http://vanessafavia.com/

http://whois.domaintools.com/vanessafavia.com

I guess she is using this case to try to launch a solo career? Good luck with that.

So what happened to ME? Why didn't he apply to the courts for HM's money instead of the "baby's attorney"? Maybe he really was canned by HM? Which is how Scifo got involved?

MOO

Yup, lawyers do that. The lawyer for Sarah Murnagha vs. Dept. of human services used that case to springboard to his own firm with his name and i believe (iirc) he even spoke at a symposium (or something of the sort) on how to do that.

 

[Hiandmighty]

i googled "69 W.Washington Chicago Il" and a variety of things showed up.

https://www.google.com/search?q=%2269+W.Washington+Chicago+Il%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

 

[Hiandmighty]

i wonder if it was the switchboard of the court whose number showed up??? Or she called the Cook County switchboard and they transferred her?

ETA: Cook County goverment offices are located there: https://www.facebook.com/cookcountyblog/events

 

[Weezer Fan]

It sounds to mean that HM is in a panic.

Her Indonesian lawyer, Ary Soenardi has only received 1/3 of his promised money. The trial has started, and I don't know what happened in Wed. court because all we have so far is pictures. Maybe Soenardi didn't show up since he doesn't have all his money? Maybe the judges/prosecution are getting testy waiting for their $$? Maybe they have threatened her to get the rest of the money, or else??

The above linked story says she fired her US attorney's because, "Mack accused her attorneys of obstructing the release of the funds and, thus, "denying me a fair chance of defending myself." So, she thinks her US attorney's are holding up the balance of the $150,000 (maybe they want to get paid first?). However, it was also stated in above links that there has not been a billing statement to explain what services were provided, and that is why no more money has been sent.

Then she calls the judge in the US directly, because she doesn't know what to do. She is figuring out that she is up a creek without a paddle. And they don't seem to care about her "attitude".

 

[Hiandmighty]

Did anyone post all of these motions? :

http://www.scribd.com/mobile/doc/254711303