commentary by Patrick H. Moore
When a high-profile murder such as the slaying of Shelia von Wiese-Mack invades our collective psyches, one of the first things we want to know is WHY? Of course we know that the deceased Ms. von Wiese-Mack had been struggling to control her daughter Heather Mack for years and that Sheila’s friends had strongly advised against her taking Heather to Bali on a “fence-mending” vacation. These facts, however, do not explain why Heather reached the breaking point and killed the long-suffering 62-year-old Shelia (assuming she did and that she — in conjunction with her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer — is responsible for her mother’s death).
Based on statements made by Bali law enforcement, however, there is some suggestion that the “straw that broke the camel’s back” was an argument over who would pay for their rooms at the posh St. Regis Bali.
Police investigating an American couple suspected of killing the woman’s mother at a resort hotel on Indonesia’s Bali island said Thursday the three had a disagreement over who was paying for the rooms, but that a motive for the crime has not been established.
Bali police chief Maj. Gen. Benny Mokalu said officers had interviewed 19 witnesses, some of whom cited a disagreement between the three over who should pay for the rooms.
Perhaps recognizing that they need to proceed with some caution given the fact their chief suspect is an American from a prestigious (or what was a prestigious) family, the Bali police have stopped short of claiming that an alleged money squabble triggered Ms. von Wiese-Mack’s slaying. Rather, they seem to be suggesting that it’s merely a possibility.
Heather and Tommy have been officially declared suspects in von Wiese-Mack’s killing. Under Indonesian criminal law, naming someone a suspect is a formal step which means police are preparing to bring charges. The Indonesian authorities have stated repeatedly that they believe there is sufficient evidence to include a charge of premeditated murder, which of course carries a maximum sentence of death under Balinese law.
(Does anyone believe that the Balinese authorities would actually execute Heather Mack? It would make a great film or book title, though: The Execution of Heather Mack.)
Personally, I’m intrigued by the money angle. It’s well-known that disputes over money are a main cause of divorce. And although money disputes between a parent and child can’t technically lead to divorce, they can certainly bring about a profound estrangement.
It would be very interesting to know what kind of money arrangements Heather had arranged with her mother for her day-to-day upkeep. Although I’m not certain, it seems unlikely that she was working which means she would have completely dependent on her mother for room and board and cash for “entertainment”.
On Wednesday, the Sun-Times reported that von Wiese-Mack collected more than $800,000 through a 2011 legal settlement, part of which was originally designated for (Heather) Mack.
Court records showed that von Wiese-Mack and her late husband received the settlement in a lawsuit between the couple and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. A half million dollars of the money went to her husband’s estate and was designated for their daughter through an earlier will. But in 2011, a judge allowed von Weise-Mack to pay herself the $500,000 as the estate’s “sole beneficiary.”
Yikes! What this means is that through legal machinations, von Wiese-Mack, while Heather was a mere 16 or so, took control of the family fortune. You can be sure that Heather resented this bitterly.
On the other hand, it’s not hard to grasp how von Wiese-Mack must have felt about this, knowing that Heather was “more than a handful” and was not nearly responsible enough to handle being the recipient of a large inheritance. Imagine this girl with a cool $500,000! Ah, the parties she could throw…
There is little doubt that Heather and her mother were constantly at each other’s throats during this period. One report from 2011 claimed “Mack hit von Weise-Mack so hard, the 62-year-old broke her arm. Then, the teen allegedly unplugged the phone so her mother couldn’t dial 911. A slew of other reports filed between 2010 and 2012 accused Mack of biting, punching and pushing von Weise-Mack”, the Chicago Tribune reported.
So while an argument over who was going to pay for the rooms at the St. Regis Bali may not have specifically triggered the altercation that led to von Wiese-Mack’s death, you can be sure that the money issue, and particularly the fact von Wiese-Mack took control of the half-million that had been earmarked for Heather, drove a deep and lasting wedge between the two females.
Dollah bill, y’all…