Schabusiness trial: Victim's mother talks about finding her son's ...

Note: The Green Bay Press-Gazette has chosen not to publish many of the graphic details of this crime. However, readers may find material in this report disturbing.

GREEN BAY - Jurors in the trial of Taylor Schabusiness Monday heard about the heartbreaking moment when Shad Thyrion's mother began to believe her son had been slain.

Tara Pekanich testified Monday in Brown County Circuit Court about the night that she and her boyfriend, Steve Hendricks, called the Green Bay police after she made a gruesome discovery after she went to the basement of her Stony Brook Lane House on Green Bay's west side to turn off a light that had been left on.

"I figured (Shad) was sleeping," she told jurors in the homicide trial of Thyrion's friend, Taylor Schabusiness. "I wanted to go back to sleep. I went to go back upstairs, there was a bucket there. That's where I found Shad."

She went to the second-floor of the house, woke Hendricks and told him she had seen Thyrion's head in the bucket, and convinced him to notify authorities. The call brought Green Bay patrol officers Alex Wanish and Ethan Plonke to the house. Wanish went downstairs, confirmed that there was a human head in the bucket.

RELATED:Taylor Schabusiness trial starts today in beheading case; here is timeline of events in the case

Schabusiness, 25, of Green Bay, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, third-degree sexual abuse, and mutilating a corpse in the death of Thyrion, 24, of Green Bay.

Much of Monday's testimony involved witnesses for the prosecution discussing their roles in the investigation, and what they found linking the victim and the defendant. Assistant District Attorney Caleb Saunders is prosecuting the case; he is assisted by Brown County DA David Lasee. Christopher Froelich is the defense attorney.

Investigator finds human remains in crockpot box inside van

Petra Schwab, operations director of the Brown County Medical Examiner's office, testified about how she collected Thyrion's remains from the basement of the house on Stony Brook Lane, and recovered other samples of human tissue from a minivan it appeared the killer had access to.

"We were informed there were potential human remains in a van that had been towed to the Green Bay Police Evidence-Storage Unit," she said. "We ultimately did find a crockpot box that did have human remains (that included) parts of both lower limbs."

Forensics employees recover 'choke chains' from crime scene

Michelle M. Czarneski, the first of two members the Green Bay Police Department's Forensics Unit to testify, discussed how she was involved in processing the crime scene, and evidence she collected, which included two silver-colored dog choke-collar chains. Police have indicated a chain was used to strangle Thyrion. Czarneski also collected a knife from the crime scene. Officers have said that knives were used remove parts of Thyrion's body.

Taking the stand

The following people also testified Monday:

• Amy Shannon, a supervisor at the Brown County 911 center.
• Green Bay Patrol Officer Alex Wanish.
• Green Bay Patrol Officer Ethan Plonke. He and Wanish were the first officers on the scene.
• Green Bay Patrol Sgt. Kurt Brester.
• Steve Hendricks, boyfriend of Thyrion's mother. He testified about the discovery of Thyrion's head.
• Eva Wheelock, Thyrion's sister who is now 17.
• Baileigh Andre, Green Bay Police forensic specialist.
• Green Bay Detective Phillip Scanlan identified a number of crime-scene photos taken from inside the Stony Brook Road home's basement.
• Preceding testimony were opening statements from the prosecutor and the defense attorney.

Coming Tuesday

David Graf is among the Green Bay Police detectives whose names are on the state's list of potential witnesses yet to testify. Much of the criminal complaint filed against Schabusiness is based on Graf's investigative work. Green Bay detectives Kevin Kempf, Jason Leick and Craig Pakkala, and roughly six other officers are among a number of Green Bay police also listed as potential prosecution witnesses.

Lasee said he plans to call a number of officers who were involved in the investigation and arrest. He expects that the prosecution will be complete Wednesday.

Brown County Circuit Judge Thomas Walsh has scheduled five days for the trial.

Timeline of events in Schabusiness case

• Feb. 23, 2022: One person in custody in 'suspicious death' of 24-year-old Green Bay man on west side
• March 1, 2022: Green Bay police report says woman shared meth and had sex with man, then strangled and decapitated him
• March 3, 2022: Green Bay woman accused of strangling, decapitating man told police she was on meth. How does that drug make people so violent?
• March 4, 2022: What we know and what we don't know about the Green Bay dismemberment of Shad Thyrion, 'a kind and compassionate person'
• March 17, 2022: Judge explains why he ordered competency exam of Taylor Schabusiness in Green Bay dismemberment case
• April 13, 2022: Judge allows second exam after Schabusiness found competent for trial in Green Bay decapitation, dismemberment case
• May 10, 2022: Green Bay woman accused in beheading, dismemberment case gets new competency hearing, set for May 19 in Brown County Circuit Court
• May 19, 2022: Taylor Schabusiness of Green Bay found competent to stand trial in the decapitation, dismemberment case
• June 2, 2022: Taylor Schabusiness to stand trial in the February killing, decapitation of a Green Bay man inside a basement
• July 5, 2022: Taylor Schabusiness pleads not guilty in February killing, decapitation of Shad Thyrion of Green Bay
• Sept. 1, 2022: Defense lawyer in Green Bay beheading case asks judge to find Schabusiness not guilty by reason of insanity
• Nov. 1, 2022: Taylor Schabusiness hearing on competency evaluation in beheading case postponed until Nov. 18
• Nov. 22, 2022: Trial set for Taylor Schabusiness in case where Green Bay man was decapitated
• Jan. 6, 2023: Taylor Schabusiness 'capable of proceeding' in beheading case, court-appointed expert says
• Feb. 14, 2023: Taylor Schabusiness attacks lawyer in Brown County courtroom; she is charged with killing, decapitating friend
• Feb. 17, 2023: After Schabusiness attacks lawyer, sheriff plans for more security in next court appearance
• March 3, 2023: Judge Walsh rejects request to remove himself from Schabusiness case after she attacked her attorney in court
• March 24, 2023: Taylor Schabusiness to go on trial July 24 in homicide, beheading of Green Bay man
• March 31, 2023: Schabusiness seeks a change of venue, insists media coverage poisons her chances of not-guilty verdict in beheading case
• April 19, 2023: Judge in Green Bay decapitation case will not move Schabusiness homicide trial out of Brown County
• May 5, 2023: Taylor Schabusiness lawyer asks Brown County judge to allow new mental-health evaluation in beheading case
• May 9, 2023: Judge will not reduce $2 million bail for Taylor Schabusiness in beheading case
• May 31, 2023: Brown County judge rules photos in Schabusiness case must remain under seal, at least until June 13 hearing
• June 13, 2023: Judge denies Taylor Schabusiness’ attorney’s attempt to suppress statements made to police
• July 5, 2023: Schabusiness will get new competency exam; judges denies request to delay her trial in beheading case
• July 13, 2023: Schabusiness unfit to stand trial for killing, corpse mutilation, forensic psychologist tells judge
• July 21, 2023: Judge rules Taylor Schabusiness is fit to stand trial in 2022 slaying of Green Bay man
• July 24, 2023: Schabusiness trial: Victim's mother talks about finding her son's severed head in bucket

Email Doug Schneider at DSchneid@Gannett.com, call him at (630) 373-0799 and follow him on Twitter @PGDougSchneider