Murder of Shad Thyrion
| Murder of Shad Thyrion | |
|---|---|
  Green Bay Green Bay (Wisconsin) | |
| Location | Green Bay, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 44°30′48″N 88°0′57″W / 44.51333°N 88.01583°W |
| Date | February 21, 2022, (body found February 23, 2022)[1] |
Attack type | Homicide |
| Weapon | Chain |
| Victim | Shad Thyrion |
| Perpetrator | Taylor Schabusiness |
| Verdict | Guilty on all charges. |
| Charges | First-degree intentional homicide, mutilation of a corpse, third-degree sexual assault |
On February 23, 2022, Shad Thyrion's decapitated head was found by his mother, Tara Pakanich, in a bucket in the basement of their family home in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Other dismembered body parts, including Thyrion's bisected torso in a storage tote, were later discovered by police.
Taylor Schabusiness, who was involved in a sexual relationship with Thyrion, admitted to strangling him to death during sexual intercourse while they were both intoxicated with methamphetamines and prescription drugs. She continued to have sex with Thyrion's body before dismembering, removing his internal organs, and mutilating it.
Schabusiness was arrested and charged with murder of the first degree, mutilating a corpse, and third-degree sexual assault. On July 26, 2023, a jury convicted her on all three counts. Sentencing will take place on September 26; Schabusiness is facing life imprisonment due to Wisconsin abolishing the death penalty in 1853.
Shad Thyrion | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 7, 1997[2] Green Bay, Wisconsin |
| Died | February 21, 2022 (aged 24) |
| Cause of death | Murder |
| Body discovered | February 23, 2022 |
| Alma mater | Howard-Suamico School District |
| Parents |
|
Murder
On February 21, 2022, at around 9:30pm, Thyrion was picked up from his mother's home by Taylor Schabusiness (born November 23, 1997),[3] with whom he had a sexual relationship with, in the woman's minivan. The couple, joined by a friend, went to an apartment on Eastman Avenue and smoked cannabis. Schabusiness stated in her interrogation that she and Thyrion also smoked methamphetamine, and injected Trazadone at the apartment after the friend left.[1] The couple then returned to Thyrion's mother's house. Pakanich and her boyfriend, Steve Hendricks, were away at the time.
They then went down to the basement and began engaging in sexual intercourse. Schabusiness claimed that they had engaged in asphyxiation in prior encounters and on this occurrence, they had used metal chains.[3] Schabusiness then proceeded to strangle Thyrion until he started to cough up blood. She continued until Thyrion was deceased which took around 3 to 5 minutes.[4]
Schabusiness then proceeded to perform oral sex and used sex toys on the body for a few hours after.[3] She then dismembered the body the following morning using knives she found at the house. Schabusiness positioned the body on the bed and beheaded it over a bucket and a storage tote to contain the blood.[3] She then dumped the blood down the basement shower drain. She also removed the organs, including Thyrion's penis, and placed them in plastic bags, the tote, cardboard boxes, and the bucket.
Investigation
Two days later, on February 23, 2022, Thyrion's mother found her son's head in a bucket in her basement.[5] It had been covered with a towel. Later, police would discover Thyrion's removed penis in the bucket as well. Hendricks then called the police who did a search of the basement and found human organs stuffed into plastic bags and cardboard boxes. His torso was discovered in the tote with his dismembered foot placed inside it. Additional body parts were also found later in a crock pot box inside Schabusiness's minivan.[3]
Schabusiness was found later that day in her minivan by police. Her clothes were covered in blood and her left thumb had a cut. She also had scratches on her arms which she claimed were self-inflicted. She was arrested and charged with murder, mutilation of a corpse, and third-degree sexual assault on March 1.[6] Schabusiness, earlier that year on January 3, was convicted and sentenced for 3 months for fleeing, eluding, and obstructing police. It is unclear if she was on work release at the time of the murder.[7] She had removed a GPS tracker from her ankle.[1]
Trial
Schabusiness's attorney, Quinn Jolly, submitted a not guilty by reason of insanity plea on September 1, 2022.[8]
On February 14, 2023, Schabusiness attacked Jolly after he requested the trial date be pushed back so experts could determine her competency to stand trial.[9] Schabusiness was tackled by a Brown County sheriff's officer. No one was seriously injured. Around ten minutes following the attack, Jolly said to Judge Walsh he plans to file a motion to be removed from the case.[10] He was replaced by Christopher Froelich on March 3, who requested that Judge Walsh remove himself from the trial as him witnessing the attack could affect his ruling. Walsh declined.[11]
On July 26, a jury convicted Schabusiness with the crimes of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilation of a corpse, and third-degree sexual assault.[1][5][6] Judge Walsh has set sentencing for September 26.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Gruesome details about Shad Thyrion's murder and dismemberment emerge during trial". The Independent. 2023-07-31. Archived from the original on 2023-07-31. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- ^ "Newcomer Family Obituaries - Shad R. Thyrion 1997 - 2022". www.newcomergreenbay.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-26. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ^ a b c d e Lasee, David L. (March 1, 2022). "Taylor Denise Schabusiness Criminal Complaint" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "Bodycam footage played during Taylor Schabusiness trial shows police finding severed head". Law & Crime. 2023-07-24. Archived from the original on 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ^ a b "Wisconsin woman convicted of homicide, mutilating a corpse, sexual abuse after death of boyfriend". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ^ a b "Timeline of Events in the Taylor Schabusiness Case". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ^ "What we know and what we don't know about the Green Bay dismemberment of Shad Thyrion, 'a kind and compassionate person'". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Archived from the original on 2023-08-04. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ^ "Defense lawyer in Green Bay beheading case asks judge to find Schabusiness not guilty by reason of insanity". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Archived from the original on 2023-08-04. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ^ "Woman accused of decapitating her lover attacks lawyer in wild court assault". The Independent. 2023-02-15. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ^ "Taylor Schabusiness attacks lawyer in Brown County courtroom; she is charged with killing, decapitating friend". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Archived from the original on 2023-08-04. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ^ "Judge Walsh rejects request to remove himself from Schabusiness case after she attacked her attorney in court". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Archived from the original on 2023-08-04. Retrieved 2023-08-01.