JAKARTA, Indonesia - The daughter of an American tourist slain and stuffed into a suitcase at a $500 per night Bali hotel and the teenager's boyfriend were charged with murder on Friday. Under Indonesian law, Heather Lois Mack, 19, and her 21-year-old boyfriend Tommy Schaefer potentially face the death penalty by firing squad. A suitcase containing the half-naked corpse of Sheila von Wiese-Mack, 62, of the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, was found on Tuesday. The luggage had been wrapped in a garbage bag and left in a waiting taxi for two hours before being discovered, police said.
Witnesses told investigators that Mack seemed panicked when she allegedly left the suitcase and told a taxi driver to wait for a "go" sign, adding: "I'm getting my mom." A security guard at the plush St. Regis Bali resort also said the weight of the silver suitcase had made him suspicious. When the Mack and Schaefer did not return for two hours, the taxi driver called police. Bali Police Chief Inspector General J. Benny Mokalu told NBC News on Friday that six witnesses had been interviewed. Investigators were planning to speak to at least seven others. Chicago-based lawyer Michael Elkin has been hired by Mack. Speaking to NBC Chicago before Mack was charged, Elkins said the allegations against the teen were untrue. He added that Mack was "hysterical" at times when they spoke on Tuesday. Both Mack and Schaefer are undergoing psychological and other tests, according to police.
IN-DEPTH
- Daughter of Suitcase Murder Victim Hires Lawyer
- Suitcase Killing: Victim's Friends Warned Against Trip
- American's Body Found in Suitcase at Posh Bali Resort