GUILTY Bali - Sheila von Wiese Mack, 62, found dead in suitcase, 12 Aug 2014 #5

[Kamille]

Inside the prison
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4583244/Kerobokan-prison-Bali-Foreign-Correspondent-ABC.html
Reiterates that money can buy anything there.

Once again they use Schapelle Corby's name and then show the conditions on the men's side. They need to spend 7 days in the women's section. We know how horrific the men's side is. There are over a thousand men vying for space in a prison designed for about 300 people. And most of them do not have outside help and money like the women. There are only 150 women and it's VERY different for them.

That's the story that should be told.

MOO

 

[Kamille]

Good point!
I think they have all they need with Bibbs being sentenced.
I wonder who else she asked prior to RB & TS.
One or more of her crew maybe.

Currently Im wondering what Favia is doing - is she representing HM?
Wouldnt that a huge conflict of interest.
I know it was discussed early on when Favia put her hand up to represent HM & then Stella who was not yet born.
I wondered what involvement she still has.
Anyone know?

Favia appears to be HM's only attorney at the moment. Don't think she claims to represent Stella anymore. But yes, her involvement has been nothing but conflict from the start.

MOO

 

[ajaylee]

Something I'm curious about. The FBI got a warrant to crack HM's cellphone. In the warrant, they said they suggested that HM might have conspired with other people.

That does surprise me. I guess I thought that she met TS, wanted more money and freedom to 'buy' him, and things went from there. I didn't really think that she had ever approached anyone else. I wonder what made the FBI think she might have tried to involve other people? It seems like that information could only have come from RB or TS.

Re: Favia. IIRC, Judge Cohen thought that it wasn't fair to conduct 'slayer statute' and trustee/inheritance hearings without HM having representation. I think even he felt a bit awkward demanding that the trust pay for an attorney for HM. Favia offered to represent HM and I believe she is doing it for free.

 

[Kamille]

It's hard to say what was meant when the media claimed that HM was appointed a "pro bono" attorney. Does that mean that the attorney is free to her but is being paid by some form of legal aid? And was it VF who was "appointed"? Because she is definitely the one representing HM in the current trust fund proceedings. We also know that Judge Cohen appointed another supposedly "volunteer" attorney, Peter Schmiedel, to be a GAL for Stella.

Heather Mack Appointed Pro-Bono Attorney in Trust Fund Case

The Chicago woman convicted for her role in the murder of her mother in Bali last year has a new lawyer. And it’s free-of-charge.

Heather Mack was appointed a pro-bono attorney by Cook County Judge Neil Cohen on Monday.

[...]

Mack’s previous legal help in Cook County was denied payment from the trust fund.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/loca...-Bono-Attorney-Trust-Fund-Case-350762181.html

I thought it was Favia who was denied payment. But that was for her "services" representing Stella. So how would she be appointed "pro bono" attorney for HM? Or are they talking about Elkin being denied payment? It's very confusing.

 

[ajaylee]

I have found the Elkin/Favia/HM thing confusing from the very beginning.

Elkin was very cagey about how HM knew him, but she did clearly know him before she went to Bali - knew him well enough that he immediately responded when she called. I have suspected (but could be wrong) that HM consulted with him about getting access to her 'inheritance' without waiting for her mother to die.

I think Favia was denied payment, and I think it is also Favia who volunteered to represent HM pro bono. IIRC, I believe Elkin was also denied payment, and it seems he might be out of the picture now.

 

[Kamille]

This is how I see it...

HM contacted ME, whom she claimed to know through "friends", when she was arrested in Bali. He got his good friend and fellow attorney VF involved

ME was hired to represent HM and VF was hired to represent HM's unborn child. They both traveled to Bali to meet with HM.

One or both US attorneys, ME and VF, were turned down for payment in the probate court by Judge Cohen.

HM was originally appointed a no charge attorney in Bali. HM heard about AS from someone at the jail, how he could "help" foreigners with money, and hired him.

HM also hired new attorneys in the US to fight for money from the trust to pay AS. Not sure if they were ever paid. The list of names are in the court records.

Judge Cohen believed the media hype about HM possibly receiving the death penalty in Bali and removed WW as the trustee because he saw a conflict of interest.

Judge Cohen and the new trustee disregarded the warnings of WW and his attorneys regarding the corruption in Bali, did not research the actual charge and sentence that the prosecution in Bali was requesting for HM and awarded the funds to HM to pay for the extremely high priced Bali attorney.

VF appeared to continue to represent either HM, Stella or both without payment during the trust fund hearings prior to a verdict on the criminal charge being rendered in Bali. VF was responsible for getting HM to sign over one third of her trust to Stella just before the verdict came in.

After Stella's birth and the verdict, Judge Cohen refused to dole out any more money from the trust for attorney fees until the slayer law was decided. He refused AS's request for another $200,000 for the prosecution appeal and mysteriously the prosecution didn't bother going ahead with one.

Stella was appointed a volunteer attorney, Peter Smiedel, to act as a GAL after the verdict. He had been getting reports every two weeks from the prison regarding Stella's health and passing them on the Judge Cohen. To the best of my knowledge he never once went to Bali to check on her and it doesn't appear he made any attempt to actually advocate for Stella to get her out of the prison and returned to the US.

HM was appointed a pro bono attorney after the verdict, which appears to be VF. She continues to show up at each hearing to represent her and appears to be the only attorney currently working on her behalf. Attorneys in Illinois are required to do some pro bono work as per this link.

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/...cy/judicial-participation/court-programs.html

I have to assume that when VF found out Judge Cohen was appointing one for HM, she volunteered. Since she's continuing to fight for HM to gain the trust fund, perhaps she's hoping for that big pay off some day. Not sure if she can submit her expenses to be paid by the courts (not paid by the trust fund) like it appears they can in Florida. Couldn't find anything regarding this in Illinois.

Please correct me where I may have it incorrect.

MOO

 

[FigTree]

I have found the Elkin/Favia/HM thing confusing from the very beginning.

Elkin was very cagey about how HM knew him, but she did clearly know him before she went to Bali - knew him well enough that he immediately responded when she called. I have suspected (but could be wrong) that HM consulted with him about getting access to her 'inheritance' without waiting for her mother to die.

I think Favia was denied payment, and I think it is also Favia who volunteered to represent HM pro bono. IIRC, I believe Elkin was also denied payment, and it seems he might be out of the picture now.

Here is an interesting article dated back to 10 December 2015.

There are some pics there of Stella also.

Interesting to read through the article now, in hindsight, as to what was happening then and being reported, but there was also this:
------------------


Body-in-suitcase killer Heather Mack claims her slain mother lied and falsified court records to seize control of her $1.5 million inheritance
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...m-lied-control-inheritance.html#ixzz4jSxmRukK

2015
Judge Neil Cohen denied the mother-of-one further access to the money until the slayer statute question is resolved.
Mack has now agreed to renounce her claim to the remaining $1 million so that it goes to their daughter.
But she has set out certain conditions which must be met first that include, giving her a copy of her father's will and full accounts detailing her parents' assets and expenditure dating back to 2006.
She also demanded that her daughter Stella received her inheritance at 18, and she got a 'lump sum'.
The convicted killer wanted her uncle removed as trustee and law firms involved in the matter should be subpoenaed.
Mack said she also wanted to make sure she was looked after as Stella's guardian.
The 20-year-old will be allowed to raise her daughter within the prison until age 2, where she must find another carer for her.
But she claimed she has already found an arrangement for Stella and insisted her daughter would not be going back to America until she and Schaefer were out of jail, if ever.
(2015)
Mack is now on her fifth lawyer, attorney Vanessa Favia represented the inmate's unborn child previously, after she clashed with her past representation.
Favia has agreed to represent her for free.


-----------------------


So is VF is still working for free?
I'm so cynical.

 

[FigTree]

Once again they use Schapelle Corby's name and then show the conditions on the men's side. They need to spend 7 days in the women's section. We know how horrific the men's side is. There are over a thousand men vying for space in a prison designed for about 300 people. And most of them do not have outside help and money like the women. There are only 150 women and it's VERY different for them.

That's the story that should be told.

MOO

Agree - though I'm not sure how much of the ABC's Foreign Corespondent did look into the women's prison side of things as yet.
They seem to have focused on the men's side in the Trailer.

 

[Kamille]

Here is an interesting article dated back to 10 December 2015.

There are some pics there of Stella also.

Interesting to read through the article now, in hindsight, as to what was happening then and being reported, but there was also this:
------------------


Body-in-suitcase killer Heather Mack claims her slain mother lied and falsified court records to seize control of her $1.5 million inheritance
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...m-lied-control-inheritance.html#ixzz4jSxmRukK

2015
Judge Neil Cohen denied the mother-of-one further access to the money until the slayer statute question is resolved.
Mack has now agreed to renounce her claim to the remaining $1 million so that it goes to their daughter.
But she has set out certain conditions which must be met first that include, giving her a copy of her father's will and full accounts detailing her parents' assets and expenditure dating back to 2006.
She also demanded that her daughter Stella received her inheritance at 18, and she got a 'lump sum'.
The convicted killer wanted her uncle removed as trustee and law firms involved in the matter should be subpoenaed.
Mack said she also wanted to make sure she was looked after as Stella's guardian.
The 20-year-old will be allowed to raise her daughter within the prison until age 2, where she must find another carer for her.
But she claimed she has already found an arrangement for Stella and insisted her daughter would not be going back to America until she and Schaefer were out of jail, if ever.
(2015)
Mack is now on her fifth lawyer, attorney Vanessa Favia represented the inmate's unborn child previously, after she clashed with her past representation.
Favia has agreed to represent her for free.


-----------------------


So is VF is still working for free?
I'm so cynical.

As I posted above, Judge Cohen was appointing a pro bono attorney for HM once he decided he would not issue trust fund monies to pay for her attorneys any more. I believe VF "volunteered" for the job at that time. Since that type of volunteer work is a bar requirement, I wouldn't say she's doing it out of the goodness of her heart but rather for the publicity. She may also be submitting expenses but I don't know if that is permitted in Illinois.

That's quite the list of demands from HM isn't it? It pretty much screams "If you want to settle this, I demand that you give my pawn my money in a lump sum as soon as she's an adult and in the meantime use my money to take care of both of us, in the style in which we've become accustomed. Then when I'm out, we will likely not return to the US but will stay here where you can continue to send money until she turns 18 at which time we can start spending that lump sum together. I swear my father had a lot more money than that, or got a lot more money in that settlement than that trivial amount. I want to see everything to figure out what that $#%&@ did with it".

MOO

 

[Kamille]

Agree - though I'm not sure how much of the ABC's Foreign Corespondent did look into the women's prison side of things as yet.
They seem to have focused on the men's side in the Trailer.

I think it's being done to air in Australia isn't it? So it's probably being done from the perspective of the remaining Bali Nine members still in Kerobokan who are men. But perhaps they did get a chance to check out the women's side to see the conditions for Sara Connor, who was reported to be a cellmate of HM's at one point. Here's hoping anyway.

MOO

 

[FigTree]

As I posted above, Judge Cohen was appointing a pro bono attorney for HM once he decided he would not issue trust fund monies to pay for her attorneys any more. I believe VF "volunteered" for the job at that time. Since that type of volunteer work is a bar requirement, I wouldn't say she's doing it out of the goodness of her heart but rather for the publicity. She may also be submitting expenses but I don't know if that is permitted in Illinois.

That's quite the list of demands from HM isn't it? It pretty much screams "If you want to settle this, I demand that you give my pawn my money in a lump sum as soon as she's an adult and in the meantime use my money to take care of both of us, in the style in which we've become accustomed. Then when I'm out, we will likely not return to the US but will stay here where you can continue to send money until she turns 18 at which time we can start spending that lump sum together. I swear my father had a lot more money than that, or got a lot more money in that settlement than that trivial amount. I want to see everything to figure out what that $#%&@ did with it".

MOO

Great summary Kamille - I had to wince at the audacity of HM and her demands written in the paper - they are undeniably so self serving, and yet in a very scary way, so very dangerously veiled untoward her daughter.
Were those demands met?
At what age will Stella receive the money in full terms.
If Stella receives that money at any age in her life, I think Stella will be in grave danger from her scheming mother.

JMO - If HM was scheming the plot to kill her mother so long before the trip to Bali - I can bet that she is also scheming something about her release. Either to get out from Kerobokan, get her daughter, and not get back to the States.

 

[ajaylee]

I suspect Favia agreed to continue representing HM for free to satisfy her bar requirements because she knew it would be easy. It's not like volunteering for a new case, where she has to do a lot of actual work researching the law and building a case. This is an unusual situation. Ordinary people in civil trials who run out of money for lawyers are simply hung out to dry, they are not given 'free' lawyers. I don't think Cohen has the authority to insist that someone represent HM and her situation made it difficult for her to try to represent herself.

This is easy for Favia. Ordinarily if she took on a case pro bono, she'd have to put in work to get up to speed on the case and the law involved. She doesn't have to do any of that with HM; she's really just there to be a mouthpiece for HM.

The attorney appointed as GAL has very little to do. Basically, he's co-ordinating with someone in Bali who checks on Stella. He doesn't even have to personally visit Stella, check out her living situation, review her medical records.

HM's 'settlement demands' were outrageous, but not unexpected from someone with such an enormous sense of entitlement. She clearly has no clue how expensive it would be to meet her demands. It would take months, if not years, for forensic analysts to access and analyze all the records she's asking for. It's kind of funny in a tragic way: HM has been an uncanny combination of lucky and teflon and clever - but she made the HUGE mistake of thinking her mother had ten times as much money as she actually did.

 

[ajaylee]

I think it's being done to air in Australia isn't it? So it's probably being done from the perspective of the remaining Bali Nine members still in Kerobokan who are men. But perhaps they did get a chance to check out the women's side to see the conditions for Sara Connor, who was reported to be a cellmate of HM's at one point. Here's hoping anyway.

MOO

One of the Bali Nine is a woman, Renee Lawrence, but she's been transferred to a smaller prison. I read that Connor spends her unlocked time with Lindsay Sandiford. She won't have much time for HM.

I would sooo like to know how often HM's getting to see Stella. If Oshar has found a full-time nanny for Stella, the nanny can probably take Stella to visit HM regularly.

 

[BorderSam]

"HM has been an uncanny combination of lucky and teflon and clever - but she made the HUGE mistake of thinking her mother had ten times as much money as she actually did."

I don't believe she really believes this. Do you? I have no doubt she inflated her family wealth to impress her squad and lure Tommy into helping murder her mother though. Sometimes I've thought Tommy texting his cousin (which I think he truly bought) that Heather had 11M coming was a typo but then it makes sense that he really did believe there was that much there. Well, apparently some day he's going to tell the whole story he says. When will that be? When he and his mother are convinced they can't make any money from a book? I still think Kia has some non-self serving feelings but the money IMO outweighs all to them still. Poor Stella. And kudos for the Wieses for trying to rescue her; what a horrible situation to be in. If it was just Heather they could walk away.

 

[ajaylee]

I think HM believed that her mother had $11 million, more or less.

Since the beginning, I've found it impossible to understand the Macks money situation. I can't even find when Mack and SWM married.

There are suggestions that SWM was wealthy before she married Mack. It sounds like Mack's best earning years may have been behind him when he married SWM.

HM stole her mother's credit card and bought TS a one-way first class ticket to Bali - $12,000. We know the Macks regularly took lavish holidays - a family of three traveling well can easily drop $40,000 on a single vacation. The property taxes on the house were $20,000/year. It's a big old house and Chicago winters are harsh - utility bills would have been high. SWM and Mack regularly entertained - and that's not cheap.

It's possible that after they got married, SWM and Mack basically just lived off of SWM's money.

When HM and TS were first arrested, IIRC, Elkin wanted $100K just for himself - plus HM wanted $200K for Soenardi (for herself and TS). At the time I wondered if she realized that she was likely to spend 1/3 or 1/2 of her inheritance just on attorney bills. I assumed that her feeling was that freedom was more important than money. It would be kind of ironic if she murdered her mother to get her inheritance and then spent all the inheritance on attorney bills, leaving her broke.

I believe that in one text exchange with TS just before he left for Bali, she told him he had just earned himself $11 million (by agreeing to come to Bali and kill her mother). It wasn't that he misunderstood her.

 

[Weezer Fan]

I believe HM thought there was more money than was actually there. There was an article in the Chicago Tribune where she states that Sheila must've hidden the money someplace. If you think about it, since Sheila thought HM was after her money, why would she tell her how much there was?

Also, I believe the reason Sheila had them staying in two different hotels was because they were staying on points. Not positive because it's been almost 3 years.


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[ajaylee]

You remember correctly. SWM didn't have enough points to cover their entire stay at the one resort, so they moved mid-way through their visit. IIRC, the average room rate for one of them was $650/day. Add in meals and excursions for two people and you can hit $1000/day. The Macks didn't vacation on the cheap.

It's interesting that HM never suggested SWM must have had life insurance. In fact, I'm guessing Mack didn't have life insurance either, because I think SWM went to court to get the balance of the cruise ship settlement transferred to her because she didn't have $$$. As far as we know, she didn't earn anything while she was married, so she would have been living off investment/interest income - or worse, digging into savings. Their Oak Park house sold for $650K. It had to be completely rewired and replumbed, plus a lot of other work. I don't know if the Macks skipped maintenance because they didn't care or because they didn't have the money. A neighbor had to replumb their much smaller house (not a mansion) a couple years ago - it was $60K for just an ordinary 3-bedroom house!

 

[Weezer Fan]

I also don't recall any discussion of life insurance about JM or SWM. I think we would have heard about SWM's due to the fact that the beneficiary of a life insurance policy would be the person who, at the very least, conspired to murder her. It would be part of the slayer suit, I would imagine.


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[Weezer Fan]

The July 28th date was reinstated here. It was there, removed for a couple of weeks, then put back on.
https://w3.courtlink.lexisnexis.com...v=&caseno=&PLtype=1&sname=mack+heather&CDate=



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[ajaylee]

I wonder what the 'agreed order entered' for KW on 4/9 was all about. I didn't think she was legally in the picture any more.

I wonder if there's any possibility the FBI will ask to see the text messages she alleged she had that proved HM was trying to sell Stella. I think that might be seen as some kind of trafficking.