Illinois Woman Sentenced to 26 Years for Conspiracy to Murder Her Mother
An Illinois woman, Heather L. Mack, was sentenced to 26 years in prison for her involvement in a conspiracy to murder her mother during a vacation in Bali, Indonesia, in August 2014. Court documents revealed that Mack, 28, originally from Chicago, admitted to conspiring with her boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, to kill her mother.
Mack facilitated Schaefer's travel to Bali using her mother's credit card. The duo exchanged text messages discussing the plan, including methods such as suffocation or beating. On August 12, 2014, Schaefer brutally beat and killed Mack's mother in her hotel room, with Mack present. Following the murder, they placed the victim's body in a suitcase and attempted to leave the hotel in a taxi. When the taxi driver refused, Mack and Schaefer fled, leaving the suitcase in the cab. Indonesian police arrested them the next day at another hotel in Bali.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri stated, "Heather Mack planned to violently murder her own mother while on vacation in Bali." She emphasized that the significant sentence holds Mack accountable for the heinous crime, highlighting the Justice Department's commitment to pursuing justice for Americans globally.
Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual emphasized that the successful prosecution was a result of exhaustive investigative work by U.S. and Indonesian law enforcement. FBI Assistant Director Michael Nordwall and Special Agent in Charge Robert W. "Wes" Wheeler Jr. underscored the FBI's dedication to seeking justice for Americans worldwide.
In 2015, Mack and Schaefer were convicted in Indonesia on local charges related to the murder. Mack served seven years of her 10-year sentence and was released, while Schaefer remains imprisoned. Upon arriving in the U.S. in November 2021, Mack was arrested on federal charges. She pleaded guilty on June 16, 2023, to conspiracy to kill a U.S. national. Charges against Schaefer in the U.S. remain pending.
The FBI Chicago Field Office led the investigation, with support from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Jakarta, Indonesia.
