Indonesia has officially released and deported a United States citizen who spent over a decade behind bars for the brutal, premeditated murder of his then-girlfriend's mother on the famed tourist island of Bali. Tommy Schaefer was freed and sent back to the United States on Tuesday evening after serving 11 years of an original 18-year prison sentence.
The Notorious Bali Suitcase Murder Case
The case, which became internationally known as the "Bali suitcase murder," dates back to August 2014. Schaefer was convicted for the murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack, a 62-year-old wealthy socialite from Chicago, during what was supposed to be a luxury holiday. The victim's badly battered body was discovered in the boot of a taxi parked at the upscale St Regis Bali resort, sending shockwaves through the community and making global headlines.
Arrests and Trials
Schaefer, who was 21 years old at the time, and his then-girlfriend, Heather Mack, were arrested on the island just one day after the gruesome discovery. Mack, who was nearly 19 and a few weeks pregnant during the killing, was also implicated in the murder of her own mother. According to official statements from Felucia Sengky Ratna, the head of the Bali regional office of the directorate general of immigration, Schaefer's deportation followed the completion of his sentence, which included several remissions granted for good behavior during his incarceration.
Heather Mack's Separate Legal Ordeal
Heather Mack faced her own legal consequences, both in Indonesia and the United States. She served seven years of a 10-year prison sentence in Bali after being found guilty of assisting in her mother's murder. Mack was deported to the US in October 2021. Subsequently, in a Chicago courtroom in January 2024, she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 26 years in prison for her role in the killing and for the act of stuffing her mother's body into a suitcase.
The case remains a stark reminder of a violent crime that disrupted the paradise image of Bali, highlighting the severe legal repercussions faced by the perpetrators across international jurisdictions.
