A Wisconsin woman, Taylor Schabusiness has been sentenced to life without parole for the brutal killing and dismemberment of her ex-boyfriend, Shad Thyrion. The crime took place in February 2022 and was fueled by methamphetamine.
During her appearance in Brown County Circuit Court, Taylor Schabusiness was seen wearing a large white mask and an orange jumpsuit, with handcuffs around her wrists. The judge, Thomas Walsh, handed down the life sentence for the murder of Shad Tyrion, who was 24 years old at the time of his death.
According to reports, Taylor Schabusiness choked Shad Thyrion with a chain before beheading him and dismembering his body.
Background
Shad Thyrion’s decapitated head was discovered by his mother, Tara Pakanich, on February 23, 2022, inside a bucket located in the basement of their family residence in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Subsequently, law enforcement authorities uncovered additional dismembered body parts, such as Thyrion’s divided torso, within a storage tote.
Shad Thyrion
Taylor Schabusiness, who had engaged in a sexual relationship with Thyrion, confessed to strangling him to death while they were both under the influence of methamphetamines and prescription drugs during se-xual intercourse. Following his demise, she proceeded to engage in sexual acts with Thyrion’s lifeless body before proceeding to dismember it, remove internal organs, and further mutilate it.
Schabusiness was taken into custody and formally accused of multiple charges, including first-degree murder, mutilation of a corpse, and third-degree sexual assault.
Trial
On September 1, 2022, Schabusiness’s attorney, Quinn Jolly, entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity on her behalf.
On February 14, 2023, Schabusiness assaulted her attorney, Quinn Jolly, when he requested a trial date extension to allow for an evaluation of her mental competence to stand trial. The incident was swiftly intervened by a Brown County sheriff’s officer, resulting in no serious injuries.
Taylor Schabusiness attacks her attorney, Quinn Jolly.
Approximately ten minutes after the attack, Jolly informed Judge Walsh of his intention to file a motion to withdraw from the case. Subsequently, Christopher Froelich took over as Schabusiness’s new attorney on March 3.
Froelich requested that Judge Walsh recuse himself from the case, citing potential bias due to witnessing the attack. However, Judge Walsh declined the request to recuse himself.
During the trial, forensic psychologist Diane Lytton provided testimony stating that Schabusiness had claimed to have had a relationship with the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer a year prior, despite Dahmer’s death in prison in 1994.
Former Green Bay detective Jenna Luberda also testified that Schabusiness had been researching Dahmer and possessed photos of him on her phone in the days leading up to Thyrion’s murder.
The Verdicts
On July 26, a jury found Schabusiness guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilation of a corpse, and third-degree sexual assault. The verdict was followed by a sentencing hearing on September 26, where Judge Walsh sentenced Schabusiness to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Schabusiness in court during her sentencing
In delivering the sentence, Judge Walsh emphasized the need to protect the public from Schabusiness, stating that the crime was a profound violation of human decency, dignity, and community. Despite the severity of the situation, Thyrion’s father expressed forgiveness towards Schabusiness, acknowledging that everyone makes bad choices, albeit not to this extent, and stating that harboring hatred would serve no purpose.
She refused to address the court and repeatedly shook her head and pulled faces as the judge described her heinous crimes.
Kelly Thyrion, Shad’s uncle, addressed Judge Walsh by calling her ‘S***business’ before asking him to refuse her parole.
‘After Judge Walsh sentences you today, I will pray that you meet the same fate as your idol Jeffrey Dahmer,’ he said. ‘So have a great life S***business’.
Credit: Independent