An American man convicted of brutally murdering his girlfriend's mother in a luxury Bali hotel room and concealing her body in a suitcase has been released from prison after serving 12 years of an 18-year sentence. Tommy Schaefer walked out of Kerobokan Prison around midnight Bali time on Tuesday and was immediately transferred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings.
Gruesome Crime and International Legal Saga
The case dates back to August 2014 when 62-year-old Sheila Wiese-Mack booked what was meant to be a relationship-repairing vacation with her teenage daughter Heather at the prestigious St Regis resort in Nusa Dua, Bali. Unbeknownst to Sheila, her daughter had secretly invited Schaefer to join them, using her mother's credit card to purchase a $12,000 first-class flight for her boyfriend.
Troubled Family Background
Heather Mack grew up in a wealthy Chicago household as the daughter of successful jazz musician James Mack, but her life took a dark turn after her father's 2006 death. She became unruly, dropped out of high school, spent time in juvenile detention, and eventually met Schaefer, a 21-year-old aspiring rap artist from a less affluent background.
Sheila strongly disapproved of the relationship, believing Schaefer to be a bad influence. What she didn't know was that Heather was pregnant with Schaefer's child at the time of the Bali trip.
Violent Confrontation and Cover-Up
Just eight days into the vacation, on August 12, 2014, Sheila was killed in her hotel room. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation from drowning in her own blood. Prosecutors believe Schaefer struck Sheila over the head with a fruit bowl while Heather held her hand over her mother's mouth.
The couple then placed Sheila's body inside a suitcase and left it in the trunk of a taxi outside the resort. Indonesian police discovered the gruesome scene and launched a nationwide search, eventually locating the pair in another hotel room booked using Sheila's credit card.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Initially, Schaefer and Mack claimed they had been attacked by a masked gang and that Sheila hadn't escaped. Schaefer later changed his story, claiming self-defense after Sheila allegedly threatened to harm Heather and her unborn baby. However, CCTV footage showing Sheila and Heather arguing in the hotel lobby undermined their account.
On September 19, 2014, Schaefer admitted to helping Heather kill her mother and conceal the body. Both were charged with premeditated murder on January 14, 2015. In April that year, Heather received a 10-year sentence for being an accessory to murder, while Schaefer was sentenced to 18 years for the killing.
Complicated Aftermath
Heather gave birth to their daughter Stella while in custody and was allowed to keep the child with her for up to two years under Indonesian prison rules. She was released several years ago but faced further legal trouble upon returning to the United States.
It later emerged that Schaefer had sought advice from his cousin Robert Bibbs in Chicago, promising him $50,000 from Sheila's $1.5 million trust fund. Bibbs was sentenced to nine years in prison in June 2017 for conspiracy to commit foreign murder, and his conviction ultimately led to Heather's arrest when she returned to the US in 2021.
Heather pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and was sentenced to 26 years in US prison in January 2024.
Release and Deportation
Kerobokan Prison Governor Hudi Ismono confirmed Schaefer's release, stating: "Today, Tommy Schaefer is released and we have handed him over to Immigration. For foreign prisoners, the release should involve Immigration for the deportation process."
Ismono noted that Schaefer had received substantial sentence reductions totaling 75 months and 120 days during his incarceration due to good behavior. When asked about potential rearrest by US authorities following deportation, Ismono responded: "I don't know about it. There is no communication from Interpol regarding that."
As he left the prison, Schaefer briefly spoke with reporters, saying he was feeling "happy," adding that "God is good" and that he plans to "enjoy life." The case continues to draw international attention as Schaefer faces deportation and an uncertain future following his release from Indonesian custody.
