Man conspires with girlfriend to kill her mother, leaves remains in suitcase
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US man deported from Indonesia after 11-year prison term
Faces federal charges in the US following “suitcase murder” case
Indonesian authorities have deported 33-year-old Tommy Schaefer after he served 11 years in prison over the high-profile killing of his girlfriend’s mother on the resort island of Bali, known in the media as the “Suitcase Murder.”
In 2014, Schaefer was on vacation in Bali with his then-girlfriend Heather Mack and her mother, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, when the couple allegedly plotted to kill her to gain access to a $1.5 million trust fund. Her body was later found concealed inside a suitcase.
Schaefer was released after receiving several sentence reductions for good behavior, but he still faces federal charges in the United States and is expected to appear in a Chicago court.
Before boarding his flight back to the US, Schaefer apologized for his actions: “I’m sorry. Always sorry. I take full responsibility for everything I’ve done, and I hope Sheila’s family finds peace.”
In 2015, an Indonesian court sentenced Schaefer to 18 years in prison and Mack to 10 years, describing the killing as “sadistic.” Prosecutors said Mack, then 18 and pregnant, covered her mother’s mouth while Schaefer struck her on the head with a fruit bowl, after which they placed the body inside a suitcase and left it in the trunk of a taxi. The driver later alerted authorities.
The couple was later found staying at another hotel in Bali. During the trial, Schaefer claimed he acted in self-defense after Wiese-Mack became angry over her daughter’s pregnancy.
Mack received a lighter sentence due to her smaller role and because she gave birth during the trial. She was released and deported to the US in 2021, where she was immediately arrested, charged with conspiracy to kill a US citizen and obstruction of justice, and later sentenced to 26 years in prison.
She later changed her plea following a deal with prosecutors and has given several interviews from prison over the years, recounting the incident and her troubled relationship with her mother.