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A TEENAGER and her boyfriend have escaped calls for them to be
sentenced to death for their role in the “sadistic” Bali murder of her
mother.
B
Bali suitcase murder
The couple, whose 15-day-old baby girl was brought to Denpasar District Court with them today, heard prosecutors call for them to be jailed for 15 and 18 years.
Both Heather Mack, 19 and her boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, had faced the death penalty for their roles in the premeditated murder of Mack’s mother, Sheila von Wiese Mack. Outside court Mack revealed the couple hopes to marry later this year.
Prosecutor Eddy Artha Wijaya told Judges that Mack should be jailed for 15 years for her role in assisting the “sadistic” murder of her wealthy mother.
Mr Wijaya said: “What the defendant did was sadistic and to her
mother.” But he said Mack had confessed her guilt, was still young and
had a newborn baby.
Fellow prosecutor Ni Luh Oka Ariani said that Mack’s boyfriend, Schaefer, and the father of her baby, deserved an 18-year sentence. Schaefer cried as the demand was delivered.
The sentence demand is a recommendation from the prosecutor about what sentence the couple deserve and the Judges can deliver a higher or lower sentence.
As the demand was read out, the American couple’s 15-day-old baby girl, who was brought to court with them, was minded by Schaefer’s mother, Kia Walker.
At just 15 days old tiny Stella Schaefer’s life is already in turmoil. She lives with her mother in a cell in the women’s block of Kerobokan prison.
Her very conception was controversial and is said to have
prompted the argument which resulted in the brutal death of her maternal
grandmother in a luxury Bali hotel room.
Initially Schaefer carried the swaddled baby from the prison van and then handed her to Mack as the pair was placed in different holding cells at the courthouse.
Mack then breastfed the little girl in the cell before she was handed to Schaefer’s mother to care for her and later handed to Schaefer inside the male cells, where he kissed and cuddled her repeatedly.
Before court, Mack told News Corporation that the thing she feared most about the death penalty was that Stella would be punished as well.
“I hope it won’t be the death penalty,” Mack said when asked her hopes for the case.
And she revealed that an orange rubber band tied around her left ring finger symbolised something like an engagement ring, saying she hopes to marry Schaefer this year.
She said Schaefer was wearing a green band and the couple had been wearing them since her birthday in October last year.
Asked if it was symbolic of an engagement ring, Mack said: “Something like that.”
And asked if she intends to marry Schaefer this year in jail, she said: “Maybe, I hope so.”
The baby, due on April 1, was born on March 17 by caesarean section and was recently back in hospital briefly suffering jaundice.
Under jail rules Mack will be able to keep Stella with her in the jail until she is two. Yesterday Mack told News Corporation that she intends to keep the baby in jail and then “probably” Schaefer’s mother will care for her.
She said Stella had six fingers on her left hand and would need an operation.
Mack and Schaefer are accused of the premeditated murder of Mack’s wealthy Chicago based mother who was bashed to death in a room at a Nusa Dua resort in August last year.
Schaefer has admitted killing the wealthy widow, bludgeoning her to death with a glass bowl before he and Mack stuffed her body into a suitcase and deposited it into a taxi at the hotel reception before fleeing.
Schaefer has told the court the couple argued with Mrs Mack in
the hotel room after breaking the news to her that Heather was
pregnant. Schaefer claims that Mrs Mack made racial slurs against him
and threatened the baby, demanding an abortion.
In the opening address of the trials, prosecutors alleged that before the Bali holiday that Mack had asked Schaefer to find someone to kill her mother for $US50,000. They also alleged a series of text messages between the two were evidence of premeditation, where they are alleged to have discussed suffocating Mrs Mack with a pillow and making her death appear like a suicide.
Stella is the second baby in the women’s block of Kerobokan prison. A little girl, who is now seven months old, has also been in the jail since birth as her Indonesian mother is serving a 13-month sentence for committing violence to her stepson.
BBali suitcase murder
The couple, whose 15-day-old baby girl was brought to Denpasar District Court with them today, heard prosecutors call for them to be jailed for 15 and 18 years.
Both Heather Mack, 19 and her boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, had faced the death penalty for their roles in the premeditated murder of Mack’s mother, Sheila von Wiese Mack. Outside court Mack revealed the couple hopes to marry later this year.
Prosecutor Eddy Artha Wijaya told Judges that Mack should be jailed for 15 years for her role in assisting the “sadistic” murder of her wealthy mother.
‘Sadistic’ ... American Heather Mack
and her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer hold their baby inside a prosecutor's
car on the way to Denpasar District Court. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro
Source: Supplied
Fellow prosecutor Ni Luh Oka Ariani said that Mack’s boyfriend, Schaefer, and the father of her baby, deserved an 18-year sentence. Schaefer cried as the demand was delivered.
The sentence demand is a recommendation from the prosecutor about what sentence the couple deserve and the Judges can deliver a higher or lower sentence.
As the demand was read out, the American couple’s 15-day-old baby girl, who was brought to court with them, was minded by Schaefer’s mother, Kia Walker.
At just 15 days old tiny Stella Schaefer’s life is already in turmoil. She lives with her mother in a cell in the women’s block of Kerobokan prison.
Mother dearest ... Heather Mack and her baby in a court holding cell.
Initially Schaefer carried the swaddled baby from the prison van and then handed her to Mack as the pair was placed in different holding cells at the courthouse.
Mack then breastfed the little girl in the cell before she was handed to Schaefer’s mother to care for her and later handed to Schaefer inside the male cells, where he kissed and cuddled her repeatedly.
Before court, Mack told News Corporation that the thing she feared most about the death penalty was that Stella would be punished as well.
“I hope it won’t be the death penalty,” Mack said when asked her hopes for the case.
And she revealed that an orange rubber band tied around her left ring finger symbolised something like an engagement ring, saying she hopes to marry Schaefer this year.
She said Schaefer was wearing a green band and the couple had been wearing them since her birthday in October last year.
In love ... Heather Mack, her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer and their baby.
And asked if she intends to marry Schaefer this year in jail, she said: “Maybe, I hope so.”
The baby, due on April 1, was born on March 17 by caesarean section and was recently back in hospital briefly suffering jaundice.
Under jail rules Mack will be able to keep Stella with her in the jail until she is two. Yesterday Mack told News Corporation that she intends to keep the baby in jail and then “probably” Schaefer’s mother will care for her.
She said Stella had six fingers on her left hand and would need an operation.
Mack and Schaefer are accused of the premeditated murder of Mack’s wealthy Chicago based mother who was bashed to death in a room at a Nusa Dua resort in August last year.
Schaefer has admitted killing the wealthy widow, bludgeoning her to death with a glass bowl before he and Mack stuffed her body into a suitcase and deposited it into a taxi at the hotel reception before fleeing.
Keeping mum ... Heather Mack cradling her newborn.
In the opening address of the trials, prosecutors alleged that before the Bali holiday that Mack had asked Schaefer to find someone to kill her mother for $US50,000. They also alleged a series of text messages between the two were evidence of premeditation, where they are alleged to have discussed suffocating Mrs Mack with a pillow and making her death appear like a suicide.
Stella is the second baby in the women’s block of Kerobokan prison. A little girl, who is now seven months old, has also been in the jail since birth as her Indonesian mother is serving a 13-month sentence for committing violence to her stepson.
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