In Chicago federal court Friday, Heather Mack, accused of participating in killing her mother and stuffing her in a suitcase during a luxurious vacation to Bali, changed her plea to guilty.
AP News reports that Mack, who appeared in front of U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly in a standard orange jail jumpsuit, answered, “Yes, your honor,” while the judge confirmed that she was relinquishing her right to remain silent.
She then pleaded guilty to “one count of conspiracy to kill a U.S. national.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Mack was convicted in 2014 by an Indonesian court of murdering her mother, 62-year-old Sheila von Wiese-Mack, at the five-star St. Regis resort in Bali.
Then, in 2021, Mack and her boyfriend at the time, Tommy Schaefer, were each indicted for “conspiracy to kill in a foreign country.”
After serving a prison sentence in an Indonesian prison, Mack was reported back to the US in 2021. Upon her arrival at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, US agents arrested her.
Meanwhile, Schaefer, who was found guilty of murder, remains in Indonesia, currently serving an 18-year sentence.
Authorities say Schaefer bludgeoned von Wiese-Mack with a fruit bowl and then he and Mack stuffed her body into a suitcase and attempted to flee the scene, only to be caught by police soon after. Schaefer was sentenced to 18 years in prison and Mack to 10 years, but Indonesian authorities released Mack early for good behavior.
Shortly after being convicted, Mack gave birth to Stella in prison, who was later placed with a foster family in Bali.
Mack and Schaefer had previously discussed ways to kill von Wiese-Mack when they were in Chicago, considering methods such as an overdose, suffocation, or hiring a hitman.
Mack reportedly wanted to be free of her mother’s control, and Schaefer wanted the family’s money, which he believed might be worth as much as $11 million.
Sentencing for Mack will be scheduled at a later date. Check back for updates.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Here is a previous episode on the case.
[Feature Photo: FILE – Heather Mack of Chicago, Ill., left, is escorted by Indonesian immigration officers at the Immigration detention center in Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia, Oct. 29, 2021. A judge declined to ease bond conditions Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, and release Mack, who is charged with conspiracy in the death of her wealthy mother during a luxury vacation in Bali in 2014. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)]
