'They had sex after murder': Bali police on couple held over body in suitcase , Latest Others News - The New Paper
News

'They had sex after murder': Bali police on couple held over body in suitcase

This article is more than 12 months old

Police in Bali have claimed that the two suspects had sex after the killing.

They claimed the couple had sex in the room of the posh St. Regis hotel, and again in the four-star hotel they checked into after the murder.

The body of Mrs Sheila von Wiese-Mack, 62, was found in a suitcase in the trunk of a taxi at the St. Regis on Tuesday. Mrs Mack's daughter, Heather Mack, 19, and her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer, 21, have been arrested in connection with the murder.

Police sources told News Corp Australia that Heather was taken to the police hospital yesterday for tests after telling police she is pregnant.

As she was being escorted into the hospital room surrounded by media, she was heard saying: "Oh my God" and "hold my hand".

Bali Police spokesman Senior Commissioner Hery Wiyanto confirmed that the tests conducted on Heather included a pregnancy test after she had told police she had an ectopic pregnancy.

An ectopic pregnancy occurs when an embryo is implanted somewhere other than the uterus, such as in one of the Fallopian tubes.

The police spokesman told News Corp that Heather told the police she has to "fly back to the US soon for treatment". But the spokesman did not say whether she was pregnant or not.

Schaefer was also taken to the police hospital ahead of an interrogation.

Meanwhile, the Mail Online quoted witnesses as saying that Mrs Mack, her daughter and the boyfriend had a blazing row at the hotel reception desk a day before she was found murdered.

ARGUED OVER BILL

Hotel staff told the police that they argued over who would pay the bill when they checked out. They were scheduled to check out on Thursday.

Mrs Mack was seen pointing at Schaefer and telling her daughter: "I've paid for his flight here, so the two of you should pay for the hotel."

Witnesses reported that the mother and daughter were seen arguing on a number of occasions at the hotel, causing staff to be concerned that the two might even come to blows.

"The mother appeared like one of our upmarket guests," a hotel staff member was quoted as saying. "But the behaviour she and her daughter showed did not belong in our hotel. Even so, it's such a tragic end for that poor woman."

An insight into the family's background and Heather's psychological problems came from an anonymous person who wrote to the Jakarta Post saying she was the same age as Heather, and had been friends with her for years.

The writer said: "Heather has always been a very disturbed girl. She was extremely spoiled and would often scream and throw things until she got her way.

"In 2006, Sheila and her husband were vacationing on a cruise ship when something went wrong and her husband cut his foot due to negligence. Sheila sued the cruise ship and won a sizeable amount of money.

"Heather became even crazier with the newly-inherited millions."

The former friend added: "Tommy recently lost the love of his life. In April, Tommy's long-time girlfriend, Rachel Smylie, passed away in a car accident in South Africa.

"I guess Tommy and Heather started dating after Rachel's death and I'm saddened that he got caught up in Heather's insanity.

"Sheila was an incredibly nice, educated woman."

Meanwhile, a lawyer for Heather told CBS Chicago that she had no involvement in her mother's death.

Mr Michael Elkin reportedly said he has been retained by the daughter to help secure legal counsel in Indonesia. He said it would be up to her lawyer in Indonesia to decide what role Mr Elkin would play in any legal proceedings.


The mother appeared like of one of our upmarket guests. But the behaviour she and her daughter showed did not belong in our hotel.

- A hotel staff member

Couple flee by back door after dumping suitcase

They first allegedly dumped the suitcase containing Mrs Sheila von Wiese Mack in the boot of a taxi.

The teenage couple then returned to the hotel and told the staff that Mrs Mack would settle the bill when she checked out later.

The Mail Online reported that they had asked for a safety deposit box to be opened and its contents given to them. It is believed the box had Mrs Mack's jewellery and their passports.

The staff refused because they said Mrs Mack had left instructions that only she should be allowed to open it, the report said.

The couple told the staff that they had more bags to collect, but they left the hotel through a back entrance and took a taxi to the airport.

PASSPORTS

The report quoted Denpasar police chief Djoko Hariutomo as saying that the couple approached immigration officials claiming they had lost their passports.

"They said they needed to get new passports in order to leave the country, but that was because the passports were locked inside the deposit box at the hotel," Mr Djoko was quoted as saying.

But when the immigration officials told them that lost passports have to be reported to the respective embassies, the duo left.

They took a taxi to a hotel near the airport.

With an alert going out to all hotels and taxis, the police received a call from staff at the hotel.

The police raided a room at 8.30am on Wednesday, found the couple asleep and arrested them.

They were both subjected to blood and urine tests to check if they were on drugs, but officers said psychological tests and Heather's behaviour suggested she was "unpredictable".