Chicago Man Denies Federal Charges in Bali ‘Suitcase Murder’ Case

Tommy Schaefer entered a not guilty plea to federal charges Thursday after being released from an Indonesian prison where he served 11 years for killing his girlfriend's mother. The 2014 Bali murder case involved beating Chicago socialite Sheila von Wiese-Mack to death and concealing her body in luggage.

A man from Chicago has entered a not guilty plea to federal charges following his return from Indonesia, where he spent more than a decade behind bars for the brutal murder of his then-girlfriend’s mother.

Tommy Schaefer received an 18-year prison sentence in Indonesia for the 2014 killing of Sheila von Wiese-Mack, a Chicago socialite, during a vacation trip to Bali with von Wiese-Mack and her daughter Heather Mack.

Federal prosecutors allege that Mack restrained her mother by covering her mouth while Schaefer repeatedly struck her with a fruit bowl. The pair allegedly planned the murder to obtain access to von Wiese-Mack’s $1.5 million trust fund. Authorities in Bali took both suspects into custody the day following the homicide – Mack was 18 years old and expecting a child, while Schaefer was 21.

The shocking crime gained international attention as the Bali “suitcase murder” when investigators found von Wiese-Mack’s beaten body stuffed inside luggage in a taxi’s trunk at a luxury resort.

After serving 11 years and earning multiple good conduct recognitions, Indonesian authorities freed Schaefer on Tuesday. He was immediately transported back to Chicago where he now faces federal charges including conspiracy to commit murder abroad, conspiracy to commit homicide, and evidence tampering.

During Thursday morning’s initial hearing, Schaefer denied all three charges according to court documents. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly scheduled his trial for January 2027 and ruled he must stay in jail pending trial. His defense lawyer, Matthew Madden, has not responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Mack completed seven years of her 10-year Indonesian prison term before returning to the United States. In January 2024, a Chicago court sentenced her to an additional 26 years in prison after she admitted guilt in her mother’s death and concealing the remains in the suitcase.