Heather Mack and Tommy Schaefer. (Getty)
An American teen mom who gave birth in a Bali prison after killing her mother and stuffing the body in a suitcase was sentenced today to 10 years in prison. The girl, Heather Mack, 19, was sentenced for the “sadistic” crime along with her boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, 21, who received 18 years for his part.
The two were found guilty of killing Chicago-socialite Sheila von Riese-Mack at a 5-star resort and stuffing her body into a suitcase. Schaefer was convicted of premeditated murder, Mack of accessory to murder.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Heather Chugged From a Bottle That ‘Reeked of Alcohol’ After the Sentence Came Down
According to the verdict, Heather was spared a stiffer sentence because “her newborn baby badly needs a mother’s love and breastfeeding.” The Daily Mail, citing photographers who took pictures of Mack in a holding cell at the courthouse, reports she drank a bottle that “reeked of alcohol” and she slurred her words and answered questions. Prosecutors objected to the light sentence and have promised an appeal. The maximum penalty for murder in Indonesia is death by firing squad. During the case, prosecutors alleged that Schaefer and Mack tried to hire a hit man in the U.S. to kill von Wiese.
2. Schaefer Attacked Photographers While Being Led Away to Prison
While Mack was getting drunk in front of reporters, in another part of the court Tommy Schaefer was led away by police to begin his 18-year sentence for his part in the murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack in August 2014. He flipped off photographers and hit cameras as he was brought away. Speaking to Reuters after being sentenced, Schaefer said, “Although I do take full responsibility for my actions, I am not a murderer.”
In August, Schaefer had traveled to Bali to be with his girlfriend, Heather Mack, unbeknownst to her mother, Sheila Von Wiese Mack, who had taken her daughter on a luxury vacation. All three are natives of the Chicago area. The trio had an argument on the night of von Wiese’s death, during which Schaefer claims he was racially abused by von Wiese.
The following day, the group were due to leave the hotel. Schaefer and Mack loaded their suitcases into a taxi, but then absconded — going back through the hotel and onto the beach. When hotel staff went to look for them, they realized that Sheila von Wiese was missing. Soon after, police made the gruesome discovery of her body inside one of the suitcases the young couple had loaded into a car. Blood had begun seeping out of the bag. The cause of death was later determined to be blunt force trauma. Schaefer and Mack were arrested early the next morning while they slept at another hotel.
3. Heather Gave Birth to the Couple’s Daughter, Stella, While in Prison
After her arrest, Heather Mack revealed that she was pregnant with Schaefer’s baby. She gave birth in an Indonesian prison to a daughter, Stella, on March 17, reports ABC Chicago. At the time, the station reported that Mack wanted her baby to remain in Bali so she could be close.
4. Sheila Von Wiese’s Husband Also Died While on Vacation
Sheila von Wiese Mack. (Screengrab via CBS Chicago)
In his obituary in the Chicago Tribune, Sheila von Wiese’s husband, composer James Mack, was described as a “jack of all genres.” Throughout his career, he worked on more than 60 albums. The obituary quotes famed jazz musician Ramsey Lewis, who called Mack “one of the few musicians in the world who was at home in front of a symphony orchestra, a jazz big band, an R&B group. There was no genre of music, other than maybe hip-hop and rap, that James Mack was not comfortable with.”
James Mack, who was Heather’s father, died of an embolism in 2006 while on vacation in Greece. Heather’s personal inheritance was $1.6 million.
5. Schaefer’s Previous Girlfriend Was Killed in South Africa
This Facebook profile pic, showing Schaefer and his previous girlfriend, was uploaded April 12, 2014. (Facebook)
On his Facebook page, Schaefer’s profile photo shows him with a girl who is not Heather von Wiese Mack. Earlier posts indicate that the girl died.
A source told Heavy.com that the girl is named Rachel Smylie and that she was killed in car accident in Cape Town, South Africa in April 2014. She was a volunteer at an AIDS clinic in Ann Arbor and was in Africa furthering her education in AIDS treatment. The same source said that Rachel was “a lovely, bright girl from a highly respected and affluent family in Oak Park.”
(Facebook)
On July 4, Schaefer posted on Facebook that he was leaving for Indonesia on August 4, cryptically adding that he might never come back. Then, on August 10, he posted on his page that his next destination was China.