Taylor Schabusiness trial started Monday in beheading case; here is ...

GREEN BAY - The trial of a Green Bay woman charged with killing and dismembering her friend in February 2022 started Monday in Brown County Circuit Court.

Taylor Schabusiness, 25, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the killing. She also is charged with third-degree sexual abuse and mutilating a corpse.

Authorities say Shad Thyrion, 24, of Green Bay had been strangled with a metal chain and was decapitated on Feb. 23, 2022, in the basement of the west-side home he shared with his mother.

Schabusiness has been held in the Brown County Jail in lieu of $2 million bail.

Here is a timeline of events in the case. The trial is slated to begin at 8:30 a.m. Monday before Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh. The prosecutor is Brown County Assistant District Attorney Caleb Saunders, and the defense attorney is Christopher Froelich. He joined the case after Schabusiness' defense lawyer, Quinn Jolly, was allowed to withdraw in February after she attacked him in court.

Green Bay police respond to a call at 3:25 a.m. to a home in the 800 block of Stony Brook Lane. They report a 24-year-old man was dead and a person was in custody in what was called a suspicious death. Green Bay Police Chief Chris Davis holds a 10-minute press conference and wouldn't say how the man was killed except that his death "does not appear firearm-related." A person is arrested in the 2300 block of Eastman Avenue, on the city's east side.

Taylor Schabusiness, who was 24 at the time, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, third-degree sexual assault, and mutilating a corpse. She had been taken into custody on Feb. 23. The criminal complaint outlines the grisly details of the victim's death — that he had been strangled, decapitated and dismembered.

County Court Commissioner Chad Resar sets bail at $2 million.

The victim in the case is identified Shad Thyrion, 24, of Green Bay. He and Schabusiness had been friends and involved in a sexual relationship, Schabusiness told investigators.

Thyrion had been a Howard-Suamico School District and Bay Port High School student from 2010 to 2015, according to district officials. His obituary listed his parents as Tara Pakanich and Michael Thyrion and said he had worked with his father and grandfather at their family businesses. "Shad enjoyed camping, games, and spending time with his family," the obituary says. "He was a very kind and compassionate person who often thought of others before himself. A talented artist, he also enjoyed wood carving."

Judge Walsh orders Schabusiness to undergo a mental-health exam within 15 days of her arrival at a mental-health facility. It's the first of several discussions of her mental health.

Walsh says a court-appointed expert evaluated Schabusiness' mental health and found she was capable of assisting in her own defense. Defense attorney Jolly asks Walsh to appoint an expert to conduct a second evaluation, saying his client had been diagnosed with a mental disorder as early as seventh grade. Walsh rules that the defense must hire its own expert, saying that if Jolly wants to use an argument that "don't believe the first person picked, believe another," it won't fly in court.

After a four-hour hearing, Walsh rules Schabusiness is mentally competent to assist in her own defense.

Deborah Collins, testifying for the prosecution, finds Schabusiness cooperative and their 75-minute conversation "quite productive," though the defendant seemed distracted by hallucinations related to her methamphetamine use. Tracy Luchetta, testifying for the defense, says Schabusiness seemed "moderately impaired" and recommended she be treated at a psychiatric hospital in Oshkosh or Madison.

In a preliminary hearing for Schabusiness, Brown County Court Commissioner Paul Burke finds probable cause that a felony had been committed, and schedules Schabusiness to be arraigned on July 5, 2022.

Schabusiness appears in court but does not speak during a brief arraignment. Walsh enters not-guilty pleas on her behalf to the homicide charge and two other charges stemming from the killing.

Schabusiness' attorney, Jolly, enters a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity on her behalf.

Walsh grants a request to give an expert more time to complete a competency report on Schabusiness.

The expected discussion of a mental health evaluation is delayed as Schabusiness' attorney says he needs more time to review the findings. Walsh schedules the trial to begin March 6, a couple weeks after the anniversary of the killing.

Walsh rules that Schabusiness is competent to assist in her own defense, after he hears testimony from experts for the prosecution and the defense. The prosecution psychologist says Schabusiness is competent to aid in her defense. A psychologist called by the defense is unable to say if Schabusiness is qualified to do so.

Schabusiness attacks her attorney, Jolly, appearing to strike him with an elbow to the head. The lone Brown County sheriff's deputy working court security pounces on Schabusiness and stops the attack.

After the attack, Jolly tells Walsh that he plans to file a motion to be removed from the case.

Christopher Froelich, a veteran of the defense bar, becomes Schabusiness' new lawyer. In the first court appearance since his appointment, Froelich asks Walsh to remove himself from the case since he'd seen the attack. Walsh declines, saying he could still provide Schabusiness with a fair hearing.

Walsh rules Schabusiness is competent to stand trial, despite objections from Froelich. The defense lawyer says Milwaukee psychologist Matthew Seipel had been relying on a November evaluation of Schabusiness, and that Seipel has not taken into consideration Schabusiness' attack on her former attorney.

Froelich then argues in support of a motion he filed days earlier asking Walsh to allow a new or supplemental competency evaluation of Schabusiness, saying Siepel's initial evaluation of the woman was months old. Walsh denies that request, then sets the trial to begin July 24.

Froelich seeks a change of venue; He says few potential jurors in Brown County have not read about the gruesome circumstances surrounding the killing.

Walsh denies request to move the trial outside of Brown County. He says lawyers could find 12 Brown County residents who hadn't formed an opinion on Schabusiness's guilt or innocence.

Froelich asks for another evaluation of Schabusiness, saying the one done last year is no longer current. He also wants to view records from a weekslong stay she had at the Brown County Community Treatment Center in spring 2021.

Walsh sets an evidentiary hearing for June 13 to determine whether statements made in custody will be able to be brough up as evidence during a trial. He also denies a motion to reduce Schabusiness' $2 million bail.

Walsh rules that photos police took of the homicide scene had to remain under seal at least until June 13. On that day, attorneys are slated to argue if crime-scene photos can be used in the case or whether any are too explicit and disturbing.

Froelich also seeks to prohibit prosecutor Caleb Saunders from using evidence collected from a buccal swab from Schabusiness. Froelich writes that police should have given her a second Miranda warning before taking the sample, but did not.

Walsh rules on a number of motions. The judge:

• Allows most photos police had but not all of those they took at the crime scene.
• Denies request to supress statements Schabusiness gave to police.
• Denies request to suppress evidence seized from an Eastman Avenue apartment where Schabusiness was living and from a minivan she was driving the night of the homicide.
• Denies request for another psychological evaluation.

Walsh grants permission for Schabusiness to have a new competency exam, but he says he will not delay the trial past its scheduled July 24 start date.

Diane Lytton, a forensic psychlogist, testifies that Schabusiness is not fit to stand trial. Sometime during an evaluation earlier this summer, Lytton says, Schabusiness would appear "coherent and lucid." Other times, she would "stand up and scream."

Walsh rules again that Schabusiness is fit to assist in her own defense. Sixteen jurors — nine women, seven men — are selected for the trial slated to begin July 24.

The trial of Taylor Schabusiness begins with opening statements from the DA's office and her attorney. The victim's mother testifies about how she discovered her son's severed head in a bucket in the basement of her house. Law enforcement officials who were at the crime scene testify about their investigation.

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

Green Bay Press-Gazette