In a Chicago court on Wednesday, “Suitcase Killer” Heather Mack was sentenced to 26 years in prison for her role in the murder of her mother, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, during a luxury vacation in Bali nearly a decade ago. Mack, now 28 years old, conspired with her then-boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, to kill her mother in order to gain access to a $1.5 million trust fund. The brutal crime took place in August 2014 when Mack, who was 18 and pregnant at the time, covered her mother's mouth to muffle her cries while Schaefer beat her with a fruit bowl in a hotel room.

Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, orange slip-on shoes, and glasses, Mack appeared expressionless as her family delivered emotional victim impact statements and requested the maximum sentence. Mack's family claimed that she had never shown remorse for her actions. However, Mack broke down in tears when it was her turn to speak, expressing her acceptance of responsibility for the heinous crime. She tearfully apologized to her family, saying, "It breaks my heart hearing you cry. There's no excuse for trying to harm her. I miss and love my mother."

Mack's attorney estimated that she will serve around 20 years in prison, taking into account the credit she received for the two-plus years she spent in custody in Chicago after completing her jail term in Indonesia. Federal prosecutors had recommended a 28-year prison sentence, while Mack's lawyers sought a 15-year term, including credit for the seven years she served in Indonesia.

US District Judge Matthew Kennelly, before sentencing Mack, described the crime as brutal and premeditated. He ordered her to pay $262,708 in restitution and a $50,000 fine. Kennelly also stated, "Ms. Von Wiese could have been the worst parent in the history of humanity. She didn't deserve to die."

Mack had pleaded guilty in June to a single count of conspiracy to kill a US national. The murder took place during a luxury vacation in Bali in August 2014, where Mack, Schaefer, and her mother were staying at the St. Regis resort. Prosecutors revealed that Mack and Schaefer had planned the killing for months, with the intention of inheriting the trust fund. After the murder, the couple stuffed Wiese-Mack's body into a small suitcase and placed it in the trunk of a taxi. They were arrested a few miles away after the taxi driver alerted the police.

Mack had previously been sentenced to 10 years in Indonesia for being an accessory to murder. However, she was released early for good behavior in 2021 and deported to the US. Her 9-year-old daughter, Stella, who was born in an Indonesian jail, is now in the custody of a relative. Schaefer, on the other hand, was convicted of murder and is serving an 18-year sentence in Indonesia. He is also charged in the same US indictment.

The case gained international attention due to the shocking photographs of the small suitcase that Wiese-Mack's body was found in, which seemed too small to hold an adult woman's body. Video evidence also showed Mack and Schaefer attempting to fit the suitcase into a taxi. Mack's lawyers argued for a 15-year prison term, taking into account her time served in Indonesia, and stated that it would be unnecessary to incur the cost of incarcerating her for an extended period of time within the US Bureau of Prisons. The plea agreement included a maximum sentence of 28 years and the dropping of two other charges against Mack.