The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been involved in overseeing the deportation process of 25-year-old American Heather Mack who was convicted of the murder of her parents.
Head of Bali’s Regional Office of the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Jamaruli Manihuruk, said that the Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre deported a woman whose full name is Heater Lois Mack, along with her daughter Stella.
“Heather Lois Mack was proven to have violated article 75 of Indonesian law number 6 of 2011 concerning immigration and article 340 of the criminal code concerning murder,” said Jamaruli in a written statement.
He explained that, after serving her sentence and being declared free from the Class IIA Kerobokan Women’s Prison, Heather and her daughter were taken to the Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre to await their deportation process. They were held there from Friday 29th October to Wednesday 2nd November.
“Heather and her daughter were deported on Tuesday 2nd November under tight security from the Denpasar Detention Centre where the police and the FBI were involved through Ngurai Rai International Airport, Bali,” Jamaruli added.
Heather departed from the Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre at 4:30pm WITA, escorted by officers. The immigration officers had previously coordinated with Aviation Security at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport regarding this deportation, which was anticipated to draw attention.
Her daughter Stella, who was born in prison in Bali, was waiting for Heather outside the Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre, was met at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport. Upon arrival at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Heather continued to board Delta Airlines DL7932, departing at 9:50pm WIB for Chicago via Incheon.
Heather gave birth during the trial and kept her daughter in prison for two years. From there, Stella was taken into the Indonesian foster care system until her mother’s release this weekend.
“Furthermore, the two Americans who have been deported are proposed to be put on a blacklist list by the Directorate General of Immigration. Heather Lois Mack is proposed to be put on a life-long banned list. Meanwhile, her daughter is proposed to be put on a six-month banned list,” he said.
Whilst in prison, Heather is said to have made many changes to her life. The head of the Class II-A Women’s Correctional Institution in Kerobokan, Lili, said that apart from being a fashion icon, Heather also enjoyed dancing and eating Padang food.
“She likes to dance and taught her friends to dance. She can speak Indonesian and Balinese languages too,” said Lili on Friday 29th October.
Heather was in prison for assisting in the murder of her mother, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, on 12th August 2014. She committed the murder with her boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer. They were on vacation to Bali at the time. The murder occurred in the St Regis Hotel, Nusa Dua, Badung Regency, Bali.
The murder case was set against the background of Heather’s disappointment because her relationship did not get the blessing of her mother. Heather was 18 at the time and pregnant.