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2h ago

Tommy Schaefer Deported From Bali, Set for Chicago Arraignment in 2014 'Suitcase' Killing

U.S. prosecutors plan to arraign him in Chicago on conspiracy charges tied to the 2014 killing.

FILE - In this March 12, 2015 file photo, Heather Mack, left, and her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer, both from Chicago, Ill., who are accused of of murdering Mack's mother Sheila von Wiese-Mack whose body was later found in a suitcase, enter the court room prior to the start of their trial hearing at the district court in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)
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FILE - Tommy Schaefer of Chicago, Ill., who alongwith his girlfriend Heather Mack is accused of murdering Mack's mother Sheila von Wiese-Mack whose body was later found in a suitcase, arrives for his trial hearing at the district court in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Jan. 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

Overview

  • Indonesian officials released Schaefer early from his 18-year sentence after sentence reductions and deported him to the United States on Tuesday.
  • He is scheduled to appear Thursday at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse before U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly for his federal arraignment.
  • The U.S. case alleges a conspiracy connected to the Bali killing, complementing his prior Indonesian conviction for the murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack.
  • Prosecutors say the plot aimed to access a $1.5 million trust fund, and Schaefer’s cousin Robert Bibbs previously served nine years for assisting the scheme.
  • Heather Mack pleaded guilty in 2023 and was sentenced in 2024 to 26 years in federal prison, while Schaefer apologized before his deportation and said he accepts responsibility.