Heather Mack plea hearing: ‘Suitcase killer’ pleads guilty in US over Bali murder of socialite mom
Heather Mack – whose father was late musician James L Mack – and boyfriend Tommy Schaefer murdered her mother Sheila von Wiese-Mack at a luxury 5-star resort in Bali in 2014
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“Suitcase killer” Heather Mack has pleaded guilty in a Chicago court today over the 2014 murder of her socialite mother in Bali, bringing some sort of conclusion to the shocking case.
In August 2014, Mack, then 18 and pregnant, and her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer, then 21, bludgeoned Sheila von Weise-Mack, 62, to death with a metal fruit stand while on vacation at the luxury 5-star St Regis resort on the Indonesian island.
The couple, who described themselves as “Bonnie and Clyde” in chilling text messages, then stuffed her body in a suitcase and left it in the trunk of a taxi.
They were both convicted of premeditated murder in Indonesia – narrowly escaping death by firing squad.
After serving seven years in a Bali jail (where her daughter was born), Mack was extradited to the US where she was arrested on arrival in Chicago and hit with fresh charges of conspiracy to murder in a foreign country in November 2021.
Since then, she has been behind bars fighting the charges but had a change of heart and decided to take a plea deal.
Mack hearing about to get underway
Heather Mack’s court hearing in front of Judge Matthew Kennelly will get underway in a few minutes in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Mack is expected to plead guilty this week to her part in her mother’s heinous 2014 murder.
After serving seven years in an Indonesian jail for murder, Mack was extradited to the US where she was arrested on arrival and hit with fresh charges of conspiracy to murder in November 2021.
After years of fighting for her freedom – and blaming her mother for her own senseless killing – Mack, now 27, has now revealed her intentions to change her plea at a hearing in Illinois court on Friday.
Speaking to The New York Post last week, Mack said she believed she had served her time in Indonesian prison and didn’t think she should be facing charges in the US.
“I have served nearly 10 years in prison. I felt that I had done my time, so I was gung-ho for trial,” she said.
“Now, after sitting for so long, I know what I have to do.
The exact terms of the plea deal remain unclear, but Mack said she is looking at a sentence of zero to 25 years, including time served.
Judge Kennelly takes the bench
Judge Kennelly has taken the bench and Mack is brought into the courtroom wearing an oragnge jumpsuit. She sits with one of her attorneys who whispers to her.
Both sides say they are ready to proceed.
The hearing is running approximately 25 minutes late.
Judge Kennelly explains to Mack how the hearing works.
He will ask her several questions and she will respond under oath.
She identifies herself as “Heather Lois Mack”.
Jon Seidel of The Sun Times reports that Mack tells the judge that as a juvenile she believes she was diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and was “hospitalised a few times”
It transpires that the plea agreement has only been read to Mack over the phone.
There is an “angry outburst” from Judge Kennelly according to Dave Byrnes of Courthouse News as he demands to know why she has not seen a physical copy of the agreement.
Mack’s lawyer Jeffrey Steinback explains that the plea agreement has gone through several revisions and that he couldn't get a finalized version of the agreement into Chicago's federal prison last night.
This appears to satisfy the judge and Mack confirms she understands everything in the agreement.
Mack is expected to plead guilty plea for the single murder conspiracy charge to kill a United States national, which carries a maximum life sentence.
There is no mention yet of the evidence tampering or injury of foreign government property charges she was also indicted on.
Judge Kennelly also explains that if Mack is sentenced to less than life in prison she will be on parole for up to five years.
She may also face a fee of up to $250,000 plus court costs and restitution to her mother’s family.
He also tells prosecutors they will not be reading the full “factual basis” from the plea agreement in court.
Jon Seidel notes: “That likely means Mack’s admissions are long and detailed.”
As with all plea deals, this is a bit of a gamble on the part of the defendant. It states that Mack’s sentence will not exceed 28 years (with consideration given to time served in Indonesia) but Judge Kennelly also explains to Mack that sentencing guidelines aren’t binding on him, Dave Byrnes reports.
“I have to make up my own mind,” he says, noting he may come up with a worse sentence for her than she’s hoping for.
He won’t decide until the sentencing.