Rasul Freelain, a retired Oak Park police officer, devoted much of his career to working with dysfunctional families and troubled youth. But the case that still haunts him is the brutal murder of Oak Park resident Sheila von Wiese-Mack 12 years ago at the hands of her daughter Heather and an accomplice.
The case, which made international headlines, was often dubbed the Bali “Suitcase Murder,” after von Weise-Mack’s bludgeoned body was found in a suitcase outside a luxury resort in Bali. Freelain has written a first-hand account, When Lambs Become Wolves, detailing his experience with the family and the escalating violence inside their deceptively extravagant home.
“I wanted to offer a body-cam perspective of what it was like working with Sheila and Heather for the three years leading up to Sheila’s murder. I wrote the book because so much media attention was on Heather and I felt like Sheila’s voice was stolen from her. I wanted to speak for Sheila since she can’t speak for herself,” Freelain said.
Before joining the Oak Park police department in 2002, Freelain, a product of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, served as an English teacher at Proviso West High School and a teacher at a Park Ridge facility for young people with serious mental health issues, some of whom were quite aggressive.
“I feel like life has put me on a path to helping struggling young people. It’s my calling. I’ve always been comfortable with difficult young people that others may have reservations about.” Freelain said.
Freelain’s early years with the Oak Park police were spent as a school resource officer at Percy Julian Middle School and Oak Park and River Forest High School, where he often encountered troubled youth and their families.
But nothing prepared him for the turmoil of the Mack family. Freelain, who became a detective in 2007, first met Sheila in November 2010 when he was investigating her allegation that Heather had stolen her credit card and used it for numerous purchases at Chicago’s Water Tower Place.
“I immediately sensed a red flag and realized that Heather had a lot of weight in their relationship,” Freelain said.
He next met with Sheila in February 2011 when she came to the police station with a cast on her arm. She reported that Heather had shoved her to the floor, causing a broken arm. The incident confirmed Freelain’s previous misgivings about Heather and led him to believe that Sheila was not safe in the home.
“When I told Sheila that, under Illinois law, Heather had to be arrested for physical violence, she became very angry and stormed out of the station. I thought I would never see her again but she was back the next day, after Heather attacked her again. Heather was arrested for the first time that day,” Freelain said.
Over the next couple of years, Oak Park police officers responded to dozens of calls from Sheila reporting Heather’s continued abuse. According to Freelain, the police department was trying to balance efforts to respond to Sheila’s dire situation with getting Heather the resources she needed as an increasingly disturbed child.
In January 2013, in a meeting that chilled Freelain, Sheila expressed her fear that Heather was going to kill her. A little more than a year later, on Aug. 12, 2014, she was dead.
Freelain learned of the murder while he was on vacation. Although he was not surprised, he was shocked to learn that Heather’s accomplice was Tommy Schaefer, an OPRF grad who Freelain knew and of whom he had had a positive impression.
“I knew this was going to happen and still I couldn’t stop it. Heather was one of the most skilled young manipulators I had ever met as a police officer. Sheila was an imperfect parent but she was determined to save her daughter at all costs,” Freelain said.
After serving seven years in a prison in Bali, Heather returned to the U.S. and was sentenced in 2024 to 26 years in a U.S. federal prison. Schaefer was released from a Balinese prison earlier this year. He was returned to the U.S. and faces charges in January 2027.
While Freelain was dealing with sorrow and guilt regarding the Mack case, he also was involved in a long, protracted legal battle with the Village of Oak Park following his report of sexual harassment by a female sergeant and claims of retaliation by the department. The case was resolved in 2021 with a monetary settlement and Freelain’s reinstatement to his post. He was promoted to sergeant before retiring in 2022 with a full pension.
“We all have challenges, and I felt like I faced mine with courage and humility. I’m grateful for the outcome of my situation with the department. I had a great career with the OPPD and I worked with some really good officers and supervisors in Oak Park,” Freelain said.
One of the best was Det. Allan Reddins, with whom Freelain worked for several years. Reddins was tragically murdered in the line of duty on Nov. 29, 2024. Freelain was dismayed to learn that the alleged perpetrator had a history of abusing family members. The connection with the domestic violence leading to Sheila von Weise-Mack’s murder was sobering.
While writing his book, Freelain connected with professionals dealing with child-to-parent violence and abuse (CPVA) and learned that the issue was much more prevalent than he had thought. He asserts that the issue is one of the country’s most underreported crimes, given victims’ feelings of shame and isolation and a system unprepared to deal with it.
Freelain advises that in 2024, Illinois updated language in the Illinois Domestic Violence Act to recognize youth-initiated domestic abuse. In addition, police now have an Adolescent Domestic Battery Typology tool to evaluate youth who batter family members and to recommend appropriate responses.
Informed by his years investigating the Mack case as well as his extensive research for his book, Freelain now trains police and social workers on de-escalation techniques and crisis response through the Illinois Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training Unit.
He remains committed to seeking justice and change, even if it’s too late for Sheila von Wiess-Mack.
Freelain book signing
Freelain will discuss and sign his book at The Book Loft Oak Park on June 27 and at Barnes & Noble on July 5.