US teen and boyfriend, jailed in Bali over mother’s killing

[Annihilation]

US teen and boyfriend, jailed in Bali over mother’s killing, welcome birth of baby

PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 18 March, 2015, 5:18pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 18 March, 2015, 5:23pm

Reuters and Associated Press in Bali

Heather Mack (right) and Tommy Schaefer are accused of killing Mack's mother and stuffing her body in a suitcase. Photo: AFP

An American teenager imprisoned in Bali and who could face the death penalty on charges of killing her mother, has given birth to a baby girl.

Heather Mack, 19, gave birth via caesarean section yesterday in an Indonesian hospital, according to Mack’s civil attorney Anthony Scifo.

The baby’s father, Mack’s 21-year-old boyfriend Tommy Schaefer, is also in jail at the Kerobokan prison in the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

The young parents, who are currently standing trial, could face the death penalty – by firing squad – if found guilty of murdering Mack’s mother, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, 62.

The elder Mack’s battered body was found stuffed into a bloody suitcase, in a taxi, outside a luxury hotel where the three were staying in August. At the time, the Macks flew in from Chicago to Indonesia for a holiday, followed later by Schaefer.

Police in Indonesia said in September that Schaefer had confessed to killing Wiese-Mack in an argument. Schaefer has been charged with premeditated murder and Mack is charged with assisting him.

Schaefer testified at Mack’s trial last week that he got angry at von Wiese-Mack because she used a racial slur against him and threatened the unborn baby.

He also said the victim strangled him briefly and he struck her with a metal fruit bowl but did not remember how many times.

Mack testified that they panicked afterwards and that she did not want her mother dead.

According to the indictment, Schaefer battered von Wiese-Mack following an argument over the hotel bill and Mack helped stuff her mother’s body into the suitcase by sitting on it to enable Schaefer to close it.

In a respite from jail, Heather Mack was admitted to Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar about 1pm on Tuesday and gave birth about six hours later, Kerobokan prison chief Sudjonggo said.

The baby was named Stella, and both mother and infant are healthy, according to lawyer Scifo.

According to Sudjonggo, who like many Indonesians uses a single name, prison rules would allow Mack to keep her baby with her at the prison until she is two years old.

Mack has said she wants the baby to stay in Bali so the child can visit her while in jail.

The hearings for the pair’s separate trials will be rescheduled pending Mack’s condition, said Hasoloan Sianturi, spokesman of the Denpasar District Court. Their trials are to resume March 24, when prosecutors would submit their sentencing demands.

Mack has sued in Cook County court to get access to her trust fund to pay for her criminal defence in Bali. A judge has granted her US$119,000 so far from the trust fund.

Scifo, who is representing her in that legal process, said the next hearing on the fund is scheduled for Friday in Chicago.