Release and Deportation of American National After Long Prison Term
Jakarta, Indonesia — An American man convicted in connection with the well-known Bali “suitcase murder” has been released from an Indonesian prison and deported back to the United States after serving 11 years of his sentence for a high-profile killing on the island.
The man, identified as Tommy Schaefer, had been serving an 18-year term for his role in the 2014 killing of 62-year-old Sheila von Wiese-Mack, the mother of his then-girlfriend, during a luxury holiday in Bali.
Officials confirmed Schaefer walked free from custody and was sent home from Bali International Airport on Tuesday evening after receiving multiple sentence remissions for good behaviour, according to Indonesia’s immigration authorities.
The Crime That Shocked the World
Investigators discovered von Wiese-Mack’s severely beaten body inside a suitcase in the trunk of a taxi outside the upscale St. Regis Bali Resort in August 2014.
The case quickly drew international attention due to the shocking circumstances: Schaefer and his then-21-year-old girlfriend, Heather Mack, were arrested on the island a day after the body was found.
Authorities described the murder as premeditated, and both suspects were charged in connection with the killing.
Legal Aftermath and Related Sentences
Heather Mack, who was nearly 19 and pregnant at the time of the murder, received a 10-year prison sentence in Bali, serving seven years before being deported to the U.S. in October 2021.
Upon her return, U.S. prosecutors pursued further charges related to the crime. In January 2024, she was sentenced in a Chicago federal court to 26 years behind bars after admitting guilt for her part in the killing and disposing of the body in a suitcase.
