A phone call from someone with a familiar name on the caller ID could speak volumes in the federal case against a Chicago man charged with aiding Tommy Schaefer and Heather Mack in the murder case that continues to capture international headlines.
Robert Bibbs, 24, was arrested on September 23rd and charged with aiding his cousin Tommy Schaefer and Heather Mack in the murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack in Bali. Hours after his arrest, federal investigators said Bibbs’ cell phone rang while he was being processed by the FBI.
The name on the caller ID was “Tommy.” Agents recognized the number “62” on the phone as the code for Indonesia.
Court records show the agents directed Bibbs to answer the call on speakerphone. When Bibbs answered, he stated something to the effect of, “I’m with the feds.” The caller then stated something to the effect of, “keep your mouth shut.”
Federal agents said Bibbs was aware of the couple’s plot to kill Von Wiese-Mack and counseled Schaefer on how to get away it. According to the charges, Bibbs believed Schaefer would gain access to Von Wiese-Mack’s estate through Mack, and that Schaefer would share the inheritance with family members.
Schaefer is serving an 18-year prison sentence in Indonesia for the murder of von Wiese-Mack, whose battered body was found stuffed in a suitcase outside the St. Regis Hotel in Bali in August 2014. Heather Mack was also convicted and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Mack is raising the couple’s 6-month-old daughter, Stella, behind bars.
Bibbs is currently on home confinement on a $50,000 security bond.
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Court documents also suggest Bibbs may have lied to federal agents about his location last week. The feds said Bibbs told them he was out of town on a job training program. However, agents found Bibbs at an associate’s house.
The FBI is searching Bibbs’ cell phone for more clues in the conspiracy case against him.
A Tuesday voicemail left for Bibbs’ attorney has not been returned.
