Heather Mack was "smuggled" out of hospital, along with her newborn baby, and returned to jail earlier today in Bali.
As Popdust previously reported, the 19-year-old, and her 21-year-old boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, are currently standing trial for killing Mack’s wealthy socialite mother, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, before stuffing her body in a suitcase and dumping it.
The Chicago couple—who were on vacation at the St. Regis Bali Resort with Wiese-Mack at the time of the death last August, hired a taxi and then placed the suitcase inside the trunk. They then told the taxi driver that they were going to check out of the hotel and would return—which they never did.
The pair initially denied any involvement in the killing, claiming Wiese-Mack was murdered during an attack by robbers from which they managed to flee uninjured.
However, the 62-year-old was caught on CCTV footage fighting with Schaefer in the hotel lobby on the morning of the alleged murder—and Chicago authorities have provided Bali cops with records of 86 separate incidents, dated between 2004 and 2013, where cops were called to the upscale Oak Park suburb home shared by Wiese-Mack and her daughter after numerous violent bust-ups between the two.
In September, Schaefer finally ‘fessed up to causing Wiese-Mack's death—claiming they became embroiled in a fierce fight after she found out about her daughter’s pregnancy, and that he hit her with the metal handle of a fruit bowl, while Mack hid in the bathroom.
Schaefer claimed in court earlier this month that he had hid the metal handle under his shirt, in case he needed to protect himself against Wiese-Mack—alleging that upon hearing news of the pregnancy, she flipped out, screamed a racial slur at him, accused Mack of being “a prostitute who liked black men,” demanded she have an abortion, and then strangled him for around 30 seconds.
Schaefer insists he struck Wiese-Mack in self-defense, and that after he realized she was no longer breathing, attempted to give her artificial respiration.
During her testimony however, Mack claimed Schaefer beat her mother with a soup bowl after she threatened him during an argument. She claims she begged him to stop before running and locking herself in the bathroom.
Fast forward to last Wednesday and Mack gave birth, via Caesarian, to a 6lb 1oz baby girl she has named Stella Schaefer.
Ironically, given the circumstances of her death, it was actually Wiese-Mack who paid for the delivery of the baby she so objected to—along with Mack’s ongoing legal fees relating to her death—via a trust fund she set up for her daughter.
Meanwhile, Mack, along with her new born, has returned to the notorious Kerobokan prison—where, under Bali law she is allowed to keep her baby with her for the first two years of the child’s life.
Schaefer has not been granted permission to visit with his daughter, and remains behind bars in the men's wing of the same prison.
If convicted of pre-meditated murder, the couple could be sentenced to death by firing squad.
