GREEN BAY - Lawyers in a Green Bay homicide-decapitation case Tuesday debated whether Taylor Schabusiness needed a long prison sentence, or whether she deserved a chance at turning her life around after completing punishment for killing and dismembering her friend in 2022.
Brown County Deputy District Attoreny Caleb Saunders, who prosecuted the case, said Schabusiness told detectives that the killing happened "because she liked it" and that the victim, Shad Thyrion, "was a good and quiet kid. He would always hug his dad."
Saunders said Schabusiness would still have the opportunity to hug her father once he was released from state prison. Thyrion, the prosecutor made clear, would not be hugging family members again.
Schabusiness' attorney said she was the victim of the drugs she began using as she grew older, and did not receive help fighting her dependence on the substances, even when she was in jail.
"She's not a lost cause, your honor," attorney Christopher Froelich told Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh in asking for less than the maximum sentence. "She's going to need some treatment to process all these (addiction issues) ... My client has a history of using mind-altering substances. But she still graduated from high school, had a baby, and held a job."
Walsh expressed some sympathy for Schabusiness' battle with her demons, but said he needed to sentence her to a prison term that would protect the public from harm. He ordered her to spend life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing Shad Thyrion of Green Bay.
"The offense in this case can't be overstated," Walsh said before detailing the sentence. "In this case, you seem to run out of superlatives in describing what happened. ... This crime offends human decency, it offends human dignity, it offends the human community. It really does."
He added, "I think there is a need to protect the public in this case. As I said, this behavior seems so removed from the human community as to be unpredictable. ... Where this kind of a thing is possible, absolutley anything is possible, and from that the public needs protection."
Schabusiness was convicted on July 26 by a Brown County jury that took only 50 minutes to find her guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, third-degree sexual assault and mutilating a corpse. She had pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. The next day the same jury rejected her plea that she suffered from mental disease or defect when she killed Thyrion.
Two members of Thyrion's family addressed the court before sentencing.
Kelly Thyrion, Shad's uncle, ripped into Schabusiness for choosing "the most cowardly thing you could do," — using Shad Thyrion's friendship and "taking advantage" of him. eventually ending Shad's life. "I will pray that you meet the same fate as your idealistic Jeffrey Dahmer."
But the victim's father, Michael Thyrion, was more conciliatory. "Taylor, I forgive you for what you did to my son," he said. "You made a bad choice ... Shad was a wonderful child, too.”
Michael Thyrion added, "I believe everybody makes bad choices, maybe not to this scale. It does no good to hate you. I know you've got a heart, got a mind."
Schabusiness declined to testify Tuesday. She attended court in what appeared to be a spit hood.
Schabusiness was arrestedFeb. 23, 2022, after police were called to a house on Stony Brook Lane in Green Bay, where Thyrion's mother had discovered her son's head in a bucket in her basem*nt.
Schabusiness was charged on March 1, 2022. The criminal complaint detailed the grisly events of the night. Schabusiness and Thyrion had smoked methamphetamine and had sex on a mattress in the basem*nt of Thyrion's mother's Green Bay home before she strangled, decapitated and dismembered him.
Timeline:Taylor Schabusiness convicted in beheading case; here is timeline of events in the case
Between her arrest and her trial in July, a number of hearings were held to discuss Schabusiness' mental state. Mental health evaluations were ordered; eventually Walsh declared she could stand trial and aid in her defense.
On Feb. 14, she attacked her attorney at the time, Quinn Jolly, during a hearing in Brown County court. Jolly was removed from the case and replaced by Froelich. He ended up defending Schabusiness during her 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 basem*nt
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
July 25, 2023:Schabusiness trial: Thyrion's death ruled homicide; expert says body mutilated for hours after death
July 26, 2023:Schabusiness police interview describes Thyrion's death; prosecution, defense wrap up their case
July 26, 2023: Taylor Schabusiness convicted of homicide, mutiliating a corpse, sexual abuse in Shad Thyrion death
July 27, 2023: Jury finds Schabusiness did not suffer from mental disease or defect when she killed Thyrion
