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

[Kamille]

Lili said Mack was entitled to the sentence reduction under Indonesian law for good behavior and Mack also got involved in activities arranged by correctional officers, such as organizing fashion shows featuring designs by inmates, and teaching them to dance.

BBM. This is the part that disgusts me the most! She gets a sentence reduction for participating in fun activities for prisoners???

Ridiculous isn’t it? No penalty for the contraband cell phones and constant manipulating on social media, the drugs, the lies, the lesbian affair(s), the repeated interviews with the American press, I’m sure there are a myriad of other things. Makes me wonder if they let her out early to get rid of their problem!

MOO

 

[Kamille]

The Chicago Tribune has posted a timeline based on stories they have done on this case over the years.

The Bali ‘suitcase murder’: Oak Park native Heather Mack’s conviction for killing her mother, Indonesian imprisonment and release

 

[LinasK]

Ridiculous isn’t it? No penalty for the contraband cell phones and constant manipulating on social media, the drugs, the lies, the lesbian affair(s), the repeated interviews with the American press, I’m sure there are a myriad of other things. Makes me wonder if they let her out early to get rid of their problem!

MOO

Too bad she didn't get to go to the Peruvian prison where they sent Joran VanDer Sloot! Exact opposite kind of treatment of prisoners. They don't coddle them there and treat it like a hotel stay.

 

[SouthAussie]

Lili said Mack was entitled to the sentence reduction under Indonesian law for good behavior and Mack also got involved in activities arranged by correctional officers, such as organizing fashion shows featuring designs by inmates, and teaching them to dance.

BBM. This is the part that disgusts me the most! She gets a sentence reduction for participating in fun activities for prisoners???

There is an Aussie woman who was arrested for possession of drugs (two ecstacy tablets) in Bali and faced a severe 15 year sentence.
She 'converted to Islam', started wearing a hijab, no doubt followed others aspects of the religion. Was home in Australia within 3 months.


"Michelle, as a Muslim made the decision to wear the hijab (head covering) to find solace with God, not for any other purpose," Mr Mulcahy said.
He would not comment on how long Leslie had been a Muslim or whether her career in modelling conflicted with her beliefs. "That's a matter entirely for Michelle after she finishes with this situation," he said.
Drug charge model declares herself Muslim

From the Archives, 2005: A model escape ... or maybe escapist fantasy


I think that Michelle 'played the system' in Bali ... much like HM has done. I am pretty sure they (HM & Michelle Leslie) will have been informed by local lawyers about what they need to do to please the court and have things go more favourably for them.

 

[otto]

I suspect we will learn soon enough if Stella will travel to the U.S. with Heather or reman in Bali with her foster parents. It's difficult to fathom that the Bali government would force Heather to take her child immediately to the U.S. if that's not in Stella's best interests. My thinking has been: Heather would return to U.S., spend her required six months getting settled, then return to Bali to collect Stella and return to the States. But, I haven't a clue what will happen.

I'm skimming through info, but my understanding is that she must be deported upon release from prison. However, she can re-enter the country after six months. On that basis, she has decided to leave Stella with her foster family, and will return to live with her daughter permanently in Bali after spending 6 months in Chicago.

 

[SouthAussie]

I'm skimming through info, but my understanding is that she must be deported upon release from prison. However, she can re-enter the country after six months. On that basis, she has decided to leave Stella with her foster family, and will return to live with her daughter permanently in Bali after spending 6 months in Chicago.

Yep ... that is my impression as well.


She said Mack would be placed in a detention room at the immigration office while waiting for a flight to the US.

Upon her release, Mack can, under Indonesian law, be reunited with her daughter, who is now six.

But her Indonesian lawyer, Yulius Benyamin Seran, has said earlier that Mack, who has not seen the little girl for about 20 months because authorities halted prison visits during the coronavirus pandemic, had asked Indonesian authorities to let the girl remain with her foster family to avoid media attention.

Under Indonesian law, a deported foreigner will be rejected entry to Indonesia for up to a maximum six months.

US woman who helped kill her mother in Bali is released from prison

 

[Kamille]

I'm skimming through info, but my understanding is that she must be deported upon release from prison. However, she can re-enter the country after six months. On that basis, she has decided to leave Stella with her foster family, and will return to live with her daughter permanently in Bali after spending 6 months in Chicago.

Yes, there are conflicting reports (I posted a couple) where an actual immigration official in Bali was quoted as saying that there is no precedent for an underage minor to stay in the country after the parent is deported and that Stella would also have to leave. It is yet to be seen how this will play out. I have no doubt, however, that they will both return to live there as soon as it is possible. I would imagine that trust fund would go a lot further in Bali if she lives like a local. And she has a lot of local connections there.

MOO

 

[Kamille]

There is an Aussie woman who was arrested for possession of drugs (two ecstacy tablets) in Bali and faced a severe 15 year sentence.
She 'converted to Islam', started wearing a hijab, no doubt followed others aspects of the religion. Was home in Australia within 3 months.


"Michelle, as a Muslim made the decision to wear the hijab (head covering) to find solace with God, not for any other purpose," Mr Mulcahy said.
He would not comment on how long Leslie had been a Muslim or whether her career in modelling conflicted with her beliefs. "That's a matter entirely for Michelle after she finishes with this situation," he said.
Drug charge model declares herself Muslim

From the Archives, 2005: A model escape ... or maybe escapist fantasy


I think that Michelle 'played the system' in Bali ... much like HM has done. I am pretty sure they (HM & Michelle Leslie) will have been informed by local lawyers about what they need to do to please the court and have things go more favourably for them.

Hi South Aussie,

That’s quite the example isn’t it? SMH. At times I believe that prison officials are either being bribed or that they just can’t be bothered hanging on to prisoners who are willing to “work the system”, especially if they like them personally. It’s certainly one way to help with overcrowding. It also helps to be female it seems.

MOO

 

[SouthAussie]

Did we all notice ..... BBM?

"Under Indonesian law, a deported foreigner will be rejected entry to Indonesia for up to a maximum six months."

US woman who helped kill her mother in Bali is released from prison

I would bet that HM is working her tail off to figure out how to get on the 'next plane' back to Bali.
Maybe she will open a dancing-lessons-for-inmates program, or some other meaningful thing and be able to return to Bali sooner than in 6 months.

 

[Kamille]

Did we all notice ..... BBM?

"Under Indonesian law, a deported foreigner will be rejected entry to Indonesia for up to a maximum six months."

US woman who helped kill her mother in Bali is released from prison

I would bet that HM is working her tail off to figure out how to get on the 'next plane' back to Bali.
Maybe she will open a dancing-lessons-for-inmates program, or some other meaningful thing and be able to return to Bali sooner than in 6 months.

I HAVE noticed that in all the articles prior to her release. I agree that she is likely trying to get back there as soon as possible. No doubt, she is using her Teflon manipulation skills to the max right now at the immigration detention centre. I wouldn’t be surprised if she is allowed to take a flight out of the country without entering the US and then turn around and fly right back in. I’ve been saying all along that she’s going to skate on any US questioning and possible charges and be living in Bali with, or as a neighbour to, her foster family, living off Stella’s trust.

MOO

 

[Kamille]

Sheila’s siblings released a statement.

“Bill Wiese and Debbi Curran, siblings of Mack's mother, Sheila Von Wiese Mack, released a statement Friday saying they're "still in disbelief and shock about the horrific and calculated way" Sheila died.

Wiese and Curran said they, along with all of Sheila's nieces and nephews, are in shock with the light sentence Mack received, explaining text messages released at Bibbs' trial "clearly show that she was the mastermind of this ruthless murder."

"Does this make sense to anyone that the mastermind of Sheila’s ruthless and deliberate murder would receive the lightest sentence of all of them and would be set free prior to the others?" the statement continued.”



‘None of This Makes Any Sense:' Mother's Siblings React to Heather Mack's Prison Release

 

[SouthAussie]

Sheila’s siblings released a statement.

“Bill Wiese and Debbi Curran, siblings of Mack's mother, Sheila Von Wiese Mack, released a statement Friday saying they're "still in disbelief and shock about the horrific and calculated way" Sheila died.

Wiese and Curran said they, along with all of Sheila's nieces and nephews, are in shock with the light sentence Mack received, explaining text messages released at Bibbs' trial "clearly show that she was the mastermind of this ruthless murder."

"Does this make sense to anyone that the mastermind of Sheila’s ruthless and deliberate murder would receive the lightest sentence of all of them and would be set free prior to the others?" the statement continued.”



‘None of This Makes Any Sense:' Mother's Siblings React to Heather Mack's Prison Release

Hopefully they are making their grievances known to the relevant DA.

 

[otto]

I think it's reasonable to be concerned about the child. Sheila was murdered for money. Now the child has the money. Heather knows that the Bali justice system is lenient with premeditated murder. Perhaps she'll take her chances in terms of gaining control of the money, eliminating her daughter, and finding another country where she blends in. Can we believe that she abandoned her goal of getting her hands on the money?

 

[Kamille]

I think it's reasonable to be concerned about the child. Sheila was murdered for money. Now the child has the money. Heather knows that the Bali justice system is lenient with premeditated murder. Perhaps she'll take her chances in terms of gaining control of the money, eliminating her daughter, and finding another country where she blends in. Can we believe that she abandoned her goal of getting her hands on the money?

Actually, yes, I do believe that HM has accepted that the money is her daughter’s. Thing is, her daughter is receiving money from the trust for her daily needs. So HM will likely also live off the trust when she is reunited with her daughter. I doubt that the trust is set up to revert back to HM should Stella pass away. I also don’t think there is even a million dollars left in the trust so with today’s cost of living, it’s not a lot of money. I think HM thought there was so much more than what there actually was. Most of the estate was the condominium she and her mother lived in and the settlement HM’s father received from the cruise line. I think the whole estate was around 1.2 million? She was given $150,000 for lawyers fees, an allowance for her daily needs in prison while she had Stella with her and she has had numerous lawyers working for her over the years. I believe Vanessa Favia submitted an invoice for $126,000 to the courts but I don’t know what she was actually paid. I also understand that the trust has been paying for Stella’s needs while she has been with the foster family.

MOO

 

[Kamille]

Looks like HM has it all planned out. She has spoken with the NYP and it appears she will be returning to the US with Stella and she’ll be doing pretty much nothing, staying with a “friend” for the next 6 months waiting for the opportunity to get back to Bali. Oh but she’s going to visit with her father’s family in Texas and introduce them to Stella. Nice current picture of Stella in the article as well.

“
Mack said she hopes to dedicate the next chapter of her life to Stella and dismisses any ideas of dating or finding a job for at least six months.

“Dating is the last thing on my mind,” she told The Post. “My priority is to settle Stella with me and get into a good routine. She will be educated remotely by the school that she has attended in Bali. She is already familiar with homeschooling because of Corona[virus lockdowns]. I will be in close communication with the Bali school. Stella loves to dance and paint, so I’ll consider following up those activities once we are back in America,.”

Keeping her daughter out of school is also part of Mack’s plan to protect her from TV cameras.

“Stella is not prepared for the press bombarding us. So I will defend her from the media and keep her right out of the spotlight,” says Mack. “I have told Stella that we are going on vacation, and she is prepared and excited for that.”

“She remains blissfully unaware of the murder, which is as it should be for a child.”

“I have been in contact with my dad’s side [of the family], who have supported me. They live in Texas, and I look forward to introducing Stella to her family.”

‘Suitcase Killer’ Heather Mack speaks after Bali prison release

 

[otto]

It sounds like Mack will be staying with her father's extended family in Texas. What are the chances that they'll apply for custody of the child who has been raised in foster care since birth? What are the chances that they'll make the argument that a woman who violently murdered her mother for money is unfit to raise a child?

How will the child cope with being taken out of the family and home that she knows to vacation with a woman she has never lived with, and has not seen for 20 months? I think the child will be homesick in no time, and that Mack will lose her patience quickly with the child.

 

[Curious Me]

...Nice current picture of Stella in the article as well.

Stella is so cute and a precious child. She's already been through living in a prison for two years, and being shuffled around. I know we all worried over her before she was even born, and than watched her grow in pics. She has looked very happy and well adjusted from being with her foster family. I'm worried. This is a gigantic change for the child and may upset the apple cart. I hope Heather does right by her daughter. I, too, can see her losing patience. I do worry that if things don't go HM's way, she'll let her ugly out again.

‘Suitcase Killer’ Heather Mack speaks after Bali prison release (nypost.com)

 

[otto]

Stella is so cute and a precious child. She's already been through living in a prison for two years, and being shuffled around. I know we all worried over her before she was even born, and than watched her grow in pics. She has looked very happy and well adjusted from being with her foster family. I'm worried. This is a gigantic change for the child and may upset the apple cart. I hope Heather does right by her daughter. I, too, can see her losing patience. I do worry that if things don't go HM's way, she'll let her ugly out again.

‘Suitcase Killer’ Heather Mack speaks after Bali prison release (nypost.com)

Mack is a spoiled rotten greedy selfish woman who was abusive towards her mother, including arranging to murder her in a foreign country. She has been provided help with her daughter since the day she gave birth. I don't think she has any experience looking after a child on her own, and I doubt that she has matured in the last few years in prison. For Mack, I suspect it was always a game of manipulation to get privilege.

 

[Kamille]

It sounds like Mack will be staying with her father's extended family in Texas. What are the chances that they'll apply for custody of the child who has been raised in foster care since birth? What are the chances that they'll make the argument that a woman who violently murdered her mother for money is unfit to raise a child?

How will the child cope with being taken out of the family and home that she knows to vacation with a woman she has never lived with, and has not seen for 20 months? I think the child will be homesick in no time, and that Mack will lose her patience quickly with the child.

According to her interview with the NYP she’ll be staying in Chicago with a friend who has been supportive of her throughout her prison stay. While she claims she’s also been in touch with her father’s family, she just wants to take Stella there for a visit. There is no way anyone is going to get custody of Stella away from HM. Kia Walker, Tommy’s mother, tried when she was a baby living in a prison and she was denied.

As for HM losing patience? In normal circumstances I’d say she wouldn’t make a good mother but considering she’ll have no other responsibilities, she’ll be living with a friend and Stella will be her meal ticket, I’d say she’ll cope just fine. At least until they make it back to Bali and HM wants to actually resume a life.

MOO

 

[Kamille]

Mack is a spoiled rotten greedy selfish woman who was abusive towards her mother, including arranging to murder her in a foreign country. She has been provided help with her daughter since the day she gave birth. I don't think she has any experience looking after a child on her own, and I doubt that she has matured in the last few years in prison. For Mack, I suspect it was always a game of manipulation to get privilege.

I agree HM is all of these things. She’s a master manipulator and she’ll continue to manipulate everyone around her to her advantage, just like she did in the prison. I don’t think Stella is going to be much of a challenge at her young age. It will be more interesting to see the dynamics between these two later on down the line when Stella finds out the truth of what her mother did.

MOO