Taylor Schabusiness appears in spit mask as she’s sentenced to life for murder (2024)

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Taylor Schabusiness was convicted of killing lover Shad Thyrion in a meth-fuelled sex tryst before decapitating him and dumping his head in a bucket. Follow live updates on her sentencing here.

Rachel Sharp26 September 2023 10:51

Taylor Schabusiness to be sentenced today for murder of Shad Thyrion

Taylor Schabusiness will be sentenced today for the brutal murder of her lover Shad Thyrion, in a case that sent shockwaves across America.

Back in February 2022, Schabusiness, 25, strangled Thyrion, 24, during a meth-fuelled sex tryst before sexually assaulting his corpse. She then decapitated his body and dumped his head in a bucket for his traumatised mother to find inside her home in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Thyrion’s torso, penis and organs were also found scattered in the basem*nt while one of his feet was found inside his chest cavity.

During her harrowing three-day trial, Schabusiness was seen smirking as jurors heard gruesome testimony about Thyrion’s murder and how she had googled “Jeffrey Dahmer’s butt” before killing him.

Jurors took just over 30 minutes to find her guilty on all counts of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilation of a corpse and third-degree sexual assault

Schabusiness’ sentencing will begin at 10.30am ET in court in Brown County, Wisconsin, where she faces life in prison.

Rachel Sharp26 September 2023 10:55

Everything we know about Taylor Schabusiness case

Nothing could have prepared Tara Pakanich for what she encountered in the early morning hours of 23 February 2022. Inside a green bucket covered with a shower towel at her home in Green Bay, Wisconsin, was the mutilated head of her 24-year-old son Shad Thyrion.

Thyrion’s torso, penis and carved-out organs were later found by law enforcement in her basem*nt. The gruesome nature of the murder was on full display in court this week as Taylor Schabusiness went on trial charged with his murder.

In July, a jury took just 30 minutes to convict her on all counts of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilation of a corpse and third-degree sexual assault in Thyrion’s death. Now, she faces life in prison as the death penalty is not legal in Wisconsin. Her sentencing is set for 26 September.

Schabusiness, 25, and her victim knew each other since middle school and had been involved in a sexual relationship, she told law enforcement. On the fateful day of Thyrion’s death, they had been consuming methamphetamines and prescription drugs.

But despite Schabusiness’ attempts to enter not-guilty pleas for reason of insanity, prosecutors honed in on the atrocious evidence they said suggested premeditation.

Over the course of the three-day trial, jurors heard about Schabusiness’ online searches for “Jeffrey Dahmer walking into court all sexy” as well as how she allegedly preserved Thyrion’s blood and then showered with it before recounting to detectives how much she “liked strangling him.”

Throughout the proceedings, she also attacked her own lawyer and was seen smirking as gruesome details about the murder were mentioned.

Here’s everything we know about the case:

Rachel Sharp26 September 2023 11:05

What to expect at the sentencing of Taylor Schabusiness

Taylor Schabusiness will appear in court in Brown County, Wisconsin, at 10.30am ET for her sentencing.

At the hearing, victim impact statements will be read out to the court.

Schabusiness’ family members are also expected to appear as witnesses and her defence attorneys are expected to present mitigating factors including calling an expert to testify about the effects of methamphetamine.

Schabusiness herself is also expected to speak – marking her first comments to the court.

The judge will then hand down a sentence. She is facing life in prison on the charges.

Rachel Sharp26 September 2023 11:25

How the murder unfolded

According to a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors, Taylor Schabusiness picked up Shad Thyrion from her mother’s home around 9.30pm on 21 February 2022. A friend of the couple joined them before they headed to an apartment where the three smoked marijuana.

Schabusiness told police that she and Thyrion also smoked methamphetamine and injected Trazodone. Schabusiness and Thyrion eventually returned to his mother’s home and spent the day there while Ms Pakanich was away.

The alleged murderer claimed in an interview with police that she and Thyrion used chains to choke one another as foreplay. This time, she said, she and Thyrion put metal chains on each other.

Thyrion reportedly laid face down in bed before Schabusiness “went crazy” and repeatedly choked him despite the fact that he was coughing blood and turned purple.

Green Bay Police Detective David Graf testified in court that Schabusiness allegedly admitted to enjoying the ordeal.

“Her response was that she liked it,” Detective Graf said, according to local news station WBAY.

Schabusiness allegedly went on to tell law enforcement that she continued having sex with the dead body for a period of time because she enjoyed it and then gathered kitchen knives with the intention to dismember Thyrion and keep all his body parts, “but she got lazy,” according to theGreen Bay Press-Gazette.

Detective Graf said that Schabusiness proceeded to use a bucket and a tote bag to collect Thyron’s blood, which she then used to shower with. Dane County Medical Examiner Dr Vincent Tranchida also testified in court about the lack of blood on the scene of the murder.

“We have decapitation, we have dismemberment, we have transection of the torso, subsequently internally the body has been eviscerated. In other words, we have entered inside the body through various cuts through the abdomen and between the ribs where the victim’s organs have been removed, largely one by one,” he told jurors.

Dr Tranchida also said that one of Thyrion’s feet had been shoved into his chest cavity and that his back was “filleted.”

Rachel Sharp26 September 2023 11:45

WATCH: Taylor Schabusiness scowls as she’s convicted of killing and dismembering lover

Rachel Sharp26 September 2023 12:05

RECAP: Taylor Schabusiness googled ‘Jeffrey Dahmer’s butt’ before killing lover

A woman convicted of strangling her lover and dismembering his corpse made chilling searches about Jeffrey Dahmer in the week leading up to the murder.

Taylor Schabusiness, 25, was found guilty Wednesday on charges of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilation of a corpse and third-degree sexual assault in the death of 24-year-old Shad Thyrion on 23 February 2022 in Gray Bay, Wisconsin. Schabusiness admitted to choking Thyrion during sex after consuming meth and prescription drugs.

During the three-day trial, detectives told the court about Schabusiness’ online searches for “Jeffrey Dahmer walking into court all sexy” and “Jeffrey Dahmer’s butt.” Although her defence had requested those searches not be admitted as evidence, Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh ruled in the prosecution’s favour.

Eleven days before she killed Thyrion, Schabusiness took a bizarre selfie next to a cellphone with an image of the cannibal serial killer.

The most damning evidence against Schabusiness came from disturbingly graphic detail about the way Thyrion’s body was mutilated. His head and genitals were left inside a bucket that his mother found at her home, while his carved-out torso with a foot stuffed inside and “chunks of his flesh” were discovered in her basem*nt.

Read the full story:

Rachel Sharp26 September 2023 12:25

Victim’s mother found son’s decapitated head in a bucket

Shad Tyrion’s mother Tara Pakanich told the court during Schabusiness’ trial that she was woken up by a knock on her front door around 2.30am on 23 February 2022.

She went to the basem*nt to check whether Thyrion was there and after not finding him, she went back upstairs and found the bucket with part of her son’s remains inside.

Ms Pakanich’s boyfriend Steve Hendricks then called 911. Bodycam video of the officers responding to the scene shows them searching the basem*nt of the home and securing the crime scene after confirming that a human head was inside the bucket.

“I went downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs, to the right, there was a green bucket with a shower towel on top of it. Just to verify we had an actual head in the bucket, lifted the towel off and there was in fact a human head severed head in the bucket,” Green Bay police officer Alex Wanish testified during the trial.

The rest of Thyrion’s body parts were found placed inside plastic bags and cardboard boxes in the basem*nt and in a minivan at the property.

Rachel Sharp26 September 2023 12:45

Who was Shad Tyrion?

According to his online obituary, Shad Rock Thyrion, 24, was born September 7th, 1997 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to Tara Pakanich and Michael Thyrion.

“Shad attended Howard/Suamico schools as a child and later worked with his father and grandfather at their family businesses.

“Shad enjoyed camping, games, and spending time with his family. He was a very kind and compassionate person who often thought of others before himself. A talented artist, he also enjoyed wood carving.

“Shad is survived by his mother Tara Pakanich, father Michael Thryion, sister Ava Wheelock, sister Cilivea Sunray Thyrion, and brother Beau Smith, Grandparents Becky and Steve Fisher, Grandfather David J. Pakanich, Grandmother Elaine Williquette, and many aunts/uncles, nieces/nephews, cousins, and friends,” the obituary reads.

Rachel Sharp26 September 2023 13:05

ICYMI: Woman accused of decapitating her lover attacks lawyer in wild court assault

Back in February, she attacked her own lawyer, Quinn Jolly of Green Bay, in court when the judge said a delay of her trial was needed.

Judge Thomas Walsh found that the trial, set to begin on 6 March, needed to be pushed back to 15 May, if not later.

Ms Schabusiness was less than pleased by the scheduling change and seemingly placed the blame squarely on Mr Jolly.

The 25-year-old was handcuffed when she attacked the attorney and a short fight ensued before an officer in the room scrambled to restrain her.

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Rachel Sharp26 September 2023 13:25