Love, Inheritance, and Blood: The Conclusion of the American Socialite's Suitcase Murder Case in Bali
Tommy Schaefer has finally tasted freedom after completing an 18-year prison sentence at Kerobokan Class IIA Prison in Badung. He was declared fully released on 14 February 2026 and subsequently deported to the United States.
“The individual has been fully released and has completed their sentence. We have therefore handed them over to immigration for immediate deportation to their country of origin,” said Moretska Victor Noya, Head of the Prisoner Guidance and Inmate Development Section at Kerobokan Prison.
Schaefer’s release brings back memories of the brutal murder case that shocked Bali in 2014. At that time, he and his girlfriend, Heather Lois Mack, murdered Heather’s mother, Sheila von Wiese Mack, and concealed her body inside a suitcase.
A Holiday Ending in Murder
The events began when Wiese Mack, an American socialite, came to Bali with her daughter in August 2014. Heather and Schaefer arrived on the Island of the Gods on Monday, 11 August 2014, and stayed at the St. Regis Bali Resort in Nusa Dua, Badung Regency.
Rather than enjoying a holiday, the young couple instead plotted murder. Heather’s relationship with her mother had long been deteriorating.
On Tuesday, 12 August 2014, at approximately 09:00 Bali time, the plan was executed. In the hotel room, Wiese Mack’s head was struck repeatedly with a bowl until she died.
After confirming the victim was dead, Heather and Schaefer took the victim’s credit card and money. The body was then placed inside a large suitcase.
At approximately 12:00 Bali time, the taxi they had ordered arrived at the hotel lobby. The suitcase containing the body was placed in the boot. Heather and Schaefer claimed they needed to handle administrative matters at reception, then abandoned the taxi.
Two hours passed without word. Taxi driver Ketut Wirjana became suspicious when his passengers did not return. He reported the suitcase left in his boot to hotel security, particularly noting bloodstains on its surface.
On the security staff’s advice, Wirjana reported the matter to South Kuta Police Station. When the suitcase was opened, police discovered Wiese Mack’s body in a curled position and partially naked.
An Arrest the Following Day
Police moved quickly. Hotel CCTV footage was examined and several witnesses were questioned. From the footage, Schaefer was seen arguing with the victim the night before the murder.
One day after the body was discovered, Heather and Schaefer were arrested at another hotel in the Kuta area. Suspicion arose when Heather attempted to check in using her mother’s credit card without any luggage.
On 13 August 2014, police disguised themselves as cleaning staff and knocked on room 1701 where the couple was staying. When the door opened, both were immediately secured without resistance.
At trial in Denpasar District Court, Schaefer was identified as the executor and sentenced to 18 years in prison. Heather was sentenced to 10 years for assisting in the murder. At that time, Heather was 19 years old and pregnant, whilst Schaefer was 21 years old.
Besides the two, Robert Ryan Justin Bibbs, Schaefer’s cousin, was also sentenced to nine years in prison in Chicago for helping plan the murder from the United States.
The Motive of Inheritance
In the prosecution’s case in Chicago, Heather was accused of recklessly murdering her mother due to prolonged conflict and the desire to control assets worth approximately US$1 million. Police records from Oak Park, Illinois, showed the two had frequently engaged in quarrels before the tragedy occurred.
In 2021, Heather was transferred to the United States to undergo further legal proceedings. Chicago District Court subsequently sentenced her to 26 years in prison at Hazelton Prison, West Virginia. Judge Matthew Kennelly considered the crime to be particularly brutal.
Now, after 12 years have passed since the bloodstained suitcase was discovered in Bali, Schaefer has completed his sentence and been deported to his home country.
The murder case involving the method of concealing a body in a suitcase remains one of the most internationally prominent criminal cases in Bali.