A decade after the brutal Bali killing that shocked international observers, American citizen Tommy Schaefer has entered a not guilty plea to federal charges upon his return to the United States. Schaefer had been serving an 18-year Indonesian prison sentence for the 2014 murder of Chicago socialite Sheila von Wiese-Mack before receiving early release for good behavior after serving just 11 years.
The case, notoriously dubbed the ‘Bali Suitcase Murder,’ involved Schaefer and his then-girlfriend Heather Mack viciously attacking von Wiese-Mack during a family vacation at an upscale Indonesian resort. Court documents reveal the couple conspired to kill the victim to gain access to her $1.5 million trust fund. Prosecutors state that while Mack restrained her mother, Schaefer delivered fatal blows using a fruit bowl as his weapon.
The grisly discovery occurred when hotel staff found von Wiese-Mack’s battered body forcibly crammed into a suitcase within the trunk of a taxi. Indonesian authorities apprehended both perpetrators within 24 hours of the murder, with Mack being eighteen years old and several weeks pregnant at the time of arrest.
Following his repatriation to Chicago, federal prosecutors have charged Schaefer with three counts: conspiracy to murder a US national abroad, conspiracy to commit murder, and evidence tampering. US District Judge Matthew Kennelly has scheduled the trial for January 2027, ordering Schaefer to remain in custody until proceedings begin. His legal representative did not respond to requests for commentary.
Heather Mack, who served seven years of her ten-year Indonesian sentence, faced additional justice in American courts. In January 2024, she received a 26-year prison term after pleading guilty to her role in the matricide and subsequent concealment of the body.