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Bali - An Indonesian court has convicted an American man of murdering his girlfriend's mother and sentenced him to 18 years in jail.
The Denpasar District Court ruled Tuesday that Tommy Schaefer, aged 21, was guilty of battering Sheila von Wiese-Mack to death in a hotel room on the resort island of Bali. Also on trial is his girlfriend Heather Mack, aged 19, who is charged with helping in the 12 August murder.
Schaefer and Mack, both from Chicago, are being tried separately in the same court with the same judges and prosecutors.
They were arrested a day after the body of von Wiese-Mack, aged 62, was found in a suitcase inside the trunk of a taxi at the St Regis Bali Resort.
"Taking into account Chapter 340 of the criminal code and other related laws, [the panel] declared that the defendant Tommy Schaefer has been legally and convincingly guilty of committing premeditated murder," said the verdict read out by presiding Judge Made Suweda.
"Therefore the defendant is sentenced to 18 years in jail."
He described Schaefer's deeds as sadistic, but said his politeness and an expression of remorse during his trial meant he did not receive a heavier sentence.
# Bali Prosecutors #death penalty# Tommy Schaefer & Heather Louise Mack# in murder of mother Sheila von Wiese Mack pic.twitter.com/3tiEg6SY2v
— Bali Tourist Card (@balientertain) January 22, 2015
Tommy Schaefer admits to killing Sheila von Wiese-Mack at Bali hotel stuffing body in suitcase http://t.co/8TL3MvOObq pic.twitter.com/GN06ggMW3P
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) September 19, 2014
