Judge keeps Schabusiness trial on track for next month

GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- A judge Friday declined a defense request to postpone Taylor Schabusiness' March 6 trial for the murder of Shad Thyrion.

Schabusiness, 25, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and third-degree sexual assault for allegedly attacking Thyrion on Feb. 23. She has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

Defense attorney Quinn Jolly cited the volume of evidence he needs to review in the case, lack of availability to talk to Schabusiness when she was on suicide watch in the jail, as well as his own recent health issues, as reasons for the requested delay.

But Judge Thomas Walsh said there has been ample time to prepare for the case, and he wants it proceed as scheduled.

Walsh also denied Jolly's request to ban prosecutors from calling Thyrion a "victim."

Yet to be decided is a defense claim Schabusiness is not competent to stand trial.

Competency refers to the defendant's ability to understand the court proceedings and assist in their own defense. If deemed competent, the case would proceed. If deemed not competent, the case would be put on hold while she receives additional psychiatric treatment. A Feb. 14 hearing is scheduled on that issue.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to a residence on Stony Brook Lane early in the morning of Feb. 23. There, police found a severed head inside a bucket in the basement.

Schabusiness said she and the victim were using drugs, including meth, and engaging in sexual play, when the man was strangled. She then sexually abused him, dismembered the body and placed body parts in various locations in the home and a vehicle, the criminal complaint states.

"Schabusiness made the comment that at one point, she did get paranoid and lazy and that she thought it was the 'dope' that was making her paranoid," the complaint states.

Police say they took Schabusiness into custody later on Feb. 23 at an Eastman Avenue residence.

Schabusiness removed an electronic monitoring bracelet hours before the murder, according to the sheriff's department. A warrant was issued for her arrest, but she was not located before allegedly killing Thyrion.

She is being held on a $2 million cash bond.