3 years ago
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CHICAGO (WLS) -- Oak Park autochthonal Heather Mack was arrested upon her instrumentality to the Chicago country Wednesday aft being released from an Indonesian prison, wherever she served clip for helping to termination her mother, stuffing the assemblage successful a suitcase.
Mack, 26, was released from situation connected Friday aft serving 7 years and 2 months of a 10-year sentence. Her then-boyfriend, who was besides convicted successful the killing, was sentenced to 18 years and remains successful prison.
She was taken into custody again arsenic soon arsenic she landed.
Mack primitively planned to spell to Los Angeles with her 6-year-old girl Stella earlier returning to Chicago, but the FBI told her she would alternatively person to instrumentality straight to Chicago.
Mack and her erstwhile fellow Tommy Schaefer present look national charges of conspiracy to perpetrate execution and obstruction of justice.
In the national indictment unsealed Wednesday, prosecutors allege Mack and Schaefer planned the execution portion inactive successful the U.S. earlier carrying retired the crippled successful Bali.
Mack volition stay successful national custody until astatine slightest adjacent Wednesday aft appearing successful a Chicago courtroom today.
Speaking to the I-Team's Chuck Goudie, U.S. Attorney John Lausch said the 2017 indictment remained sealed until her instrumentality to Chicago Wednesday.
"It's a level retired witch hunt," said Mack's lawyer Brian Claypool. "The U.S. attorneys are indicting Heather Mack for a transgression that she was already prosecuted for successful Indonesia."
But is it? Convicted of helping to termination her parent portion traveling with her successful Bali, the crimes she and Schaefer are present accused of occurred, astatine slightest successful part, portion inactive successful the United States.
"That's what gives the authorities the jurisdiction to bring these charges and due to the fact that there's nary treble jeopardy barroom they tin bash it," said ABC7 Legal Analyst Gil Soffer.
Von Wiese-Mack's household thanked the FBI for their enactment Wednesday, saying successful a statement, ""We person been simultaneously mourning the nonaccomplishment of our beauteous sister Sheila, keeping her tone alive, assisting successful the quest for justice, and advocating for the wellbeing of Stella."
And the child's paternal grandmother, Kia Walker, said she plans to combat for guardianship.
"I would similar custody of my granddaughter. I would similar the accidental to supply a harmless abstraction for her," she said.
"She has maintained a narration with Stella. She has had regular interaction with her. Kia tried to get guardianship before, erstwhile Stella was born," said Michael Goldberg, the paternal grandmother's attorney. "Kia loves her granddaughter. She wants what's champion for her. She stands ready, consenting and capable to attraction for her and to emotion her and to beryllium determination for her."
Walker came to the airdrome Wednesday morning, hoping to spot her granddaughter, but the miss was whisked away.
Schaefer called Walker arsenic she was leaving the airport, and helium declined to remark connected the situation.
Walker said she talks to her lad doubly a week, and helium afloat supports his parent trying to get custody.
Mack's lawyer vowing to combat immoderate attempts to region the six-year-old from the impermanent guardian her parent has selected for her. Mack's contiguous occupation nevertheless volition beryllium to combat these charges. If convicted, she faces up to beingness successful prison.
The sidesplitting generated nationalist and planetary attraction for years, successful portion due to the fact that of photographs of the suitcase that appeared acold excessively tiny to clasp an big woman's body.
The severely beaten assemblage of her mother, affluent Chicago socialite Sheila von Wiese-Mack, was recovered successful the suitcase wrong the trunk of a taxi parked astatine the upscale St. Regis Bali Resort successful August 2014.
Mack reportedly had a troubled narration with her mother, with officials successful the U.S. confirming that constabulary had been called to the family's Oak Park, Illinois, location dozens of times.
Mack, who was astir 19 and a fewer weeks large astatine the clip of the incident, and her then-21-year-old boyfriend, Schaefer, were arrested a time aft Wiese-Mack's assemblage was recovered aft they were recovered astatine a edifice astir 6 miles from the St. Regis.
Their daughter, Stella Schaefer, was calved soon earlier her parents were convicted successful 2015. Under Indonesian law, she was allowed to unrecorded with her parent successful her compartment successful Kerobokan pistillate situation until she turned 2, erstwhile Mack gave custody of her young girl to an Australian pistillate until her merchandise from prison.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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