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18, 15 years in prison sought for US pair
Young and 'sadistic': Murder suspects Heather Mack (second right) and her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer, both US citizens, arrive at the Denpasar District Court, Bali, Tuesday
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span class="inline inline-center">Young and 'sadistic': Murder suspects Heather Mack (second right) and her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer, both US citizens, arrive at the Denpasar District Court, Bali, Tuesday. Prosecutors are seeking a 15-year prison term for Mack and 18 years for Schaefer for allegedly killing Mack's 62-year-old mother, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, last year. JP/Zul Trio Anggono
Prosecutors asked the Denpasar District Court on Tuesday to sentence US defendants Heather Lois Mack and her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer to 15 years and 18 years in prison, respectively, for killing Mack's mother.
'What the defendant [Mack] did was sadistic, and to her mother. Other considerations are that she confessed that she was guilty, is still young and has a newborn baby,' prosecutor Eddy Artha Wijaya told the court, presided over by judge Made Suweda.
Mack, 19, and her boyfriend, 21, were tried in separate trials for the murder of her mother Sheila von Weise-Mack, 62.
Eddy said that based on all witness statements and evidence, Mack was guilty of abetting another defendant, Tommy Schaefer, in the murder.
After hearing the sentence demand, Mack, who brought her newborn baby to court, was quiet. Schaefer's mother took care of the baby during the trial.
Schaefer's trial was presided over by the same panel of judges and the team of prosecutors was also the same.
'We ask the panel of judges to sentence the defendant to 18 years in prison. All elements in the indictment have been proven in accordance with the law. During the trial, no reason was found to pardon the defendant. The defendant should be held responsible for what he did,' prosecutor Ni Luh Oka Ariani said.
Both Mack and Schaefer were charged under Article 340 of the Criminal Code on premeditated murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death.
The murder was committed in August last year. The victim's body was found in a suitcase that was placed in a taxi trunk allegedly by the young couple at the St. Regis Bali Resort in Nusa Dua on Aug. 12, where the three had been vacationing.
During the trial on March 12, Schaefer confessed he had killed Mack's mother. He told the court he was angry after the victim had threatened to kill his unborn baby and had strangled him for about half a minute.
Schaefer told the court that Mack's mother had not supported their relationship. He said Von Wiese-Mack was angry when she found out that Mack was pregnant.
The victim, he said, had insulted him using a racial slur and had called her daughter a prostitute. Schaefer said he could not remember how many times he had struck the victim.
The baby girl, named Stella Schaefer, was born on March 17 at Wings Amerta, a facility meeting international standards at Sanglah Hospital. The baby had also been brought to see Schaefer in court, where he cuddled and kissed her for a while.
Before the trial, Mack conveyed her fear of the death sentence. She said that Stella was her biggest worry. '[It'd be like] she was punished too,' she said.
