Judge refuses to delay trial for woman accused in murder, dismemberment
Taylor Schabusiness’s attorney said he needs more time to prepare
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A Brown County judge is refusing to push back next month’s trial for a woman charged with the murder and dismemberment of a man in Green Bay wants to delay the jury trial.
The attorney for Taylor Schabusiness says an adjournment of the trial is necessary to adequately prepare for the “voluminous” amount of evidence to be presented by the state. The trial is scheduled to begin March 6 in Brown County.
Schabusiness was in court for Friday’s hearing.
Attorney Quinn Jolly said he isn’t prepared for the trial. He said he didn’t have access to Schabusiness during the two months she was on suicide watch at the Brown County Jail. He also cited the amount of discovery required, pointing out the prosecution plans to call 37 witnesses. He wants more time to consult with medical experts regarding the medical examiner’s report, which was filed nine months after the charges were filed. Finally, Jolly also said he’s had health issues, including a recent fall that might require surgery and an infection he suffered this past summer.
The prosecution responded saying the newest discovery was the contents of Schabusiness’s phone and calendar events, which offered little to no new information.
The judge pointed out that the last time he asked about the coming trial date, both sides said it was fine. He said discovery has fallen to a “trickle” over the last few months.
The defense also filed a motion to block prosecutors from using the word “victim” to refer to the man Schabusiness killed. The judge denied the motion, saying the existence of a victim and saying the defendant did it are two different issues, but is open to a defense motion if the word is overused during the trial. The prosecutor added that they typically use proper names.
Schabusiness, 25, is charged with the February 2022 killing of Shad Thyrion. She’s pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to charges of 1st Degree Intentional Homicide, Mutilating a Corpse, and 3rd Degree Sexual Assault.
The court has scheduled the competency hearing for Feb. 14 at 8:30 a.m.
Last February, Green Bay police were called to a home on Stony Brook Lane. The caller reported finding her son’s severed head in a bucket.
Police learned that Taylor Schabusiness may have been the last person to be seen with the victim, Shad Thyrion. They found Schabusiness at a home on Eastman Avenue. She had dried blood on her clothing.
Police searched Schabusiness’s van and the rear passenger seat. They found a crock pot box with “additional human body parts including legs,” according to the criminal complaint.
Police obtained a search warrant for the home on Stony Brook Lane, which belonged to the victim’s mother. In addition to the human head, they found a “male organ” in the bucket. They found “body fluid” and knives.
In a storage tote, they found an upper torso.
Police interviewed Schabusiness and asked her what happened. She replied, “That is a good question.” Schabusiness said she and the victim were together all day Tuesday and had been smoking meth. After they arrived at the Stony Brook home, they were having sex and incorporated chains. Schabusiness said she blacked out during part of it but just went “crazy” and started strangling the victim.
Schabusiness told investigators she did not mean to kill the victim but she enjoyed choking him and continued to do it. Prosecutors say the sexual assault charge is for acts that happened after the victim died.
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