Cover image via 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
Indonesian authorities deported an American man on Tuesday evening, 24 February, following his release from prison
Tommy Schaefer, now 32, departed from Bali International Airport after completing a reduced sentence of 11 years for the premeditated murder of his former girlfriend's mother.
The case, famously dubbed the "suitcase murder", dates back to August 2014 at the upscale St. Regis Bali Resort. The victim, 62-year-old Chicago socialite Sheila von Wiese-Mack, was found bludgeoned to death; her remains were discovered stuffed inside a bloodied suitcase in the boot of a taxi parked outside the hotel, according to CNN.
Tommy Schaefer.
Image via CNNSchaefer was originally sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2015
However, Felucia Sengky Ratna, the head of the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration, confirmed in a formal statement that his term was shortened. This reduction was attributed to various remissions granted by the Indonesian government for good behaviour during his incarceration.
The victim's daughter, Heather Mack, was also heavily involved in the plot. At the time of the killing, Mack was nearly 19 years old and several weeks pregnant with Schaefer's child. While Schaefer carried out the physical assault, Mack was found guilty of assisting in the murder. Both fled the resort but were apprehended by local police a day after the discovery of the body.
Heather Mack and Tommy Schaefer.
Image via CNNMack served seven years of a 10-year sentence in Indonesia before her deportation in October 2021
Her legal battles did not end upon her return to the United States; in January 2024, a Chicago court sentenced her to an additional 26 years in prison.
She had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, marking a rare instance of dual prosecution for the same underlying events.
