The Murder of Shad Thyrion

Police were called to 25 year old Shad Thyrion’s mother’s home after his mother reported finding her son’s severed head in a bucket.

Shad’s mother, Tara Pakanich knew that the last person to see her son alive was 25 year old Taylor Denise Schabusiness, who had been hanging out with Shad in the basement of her house prior to the gruesome discovery.

Taylor Schabusiness is on trial for the murder of her longtime friend and occasional paramour, Shad Thyrion. The charges are first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and third-degree sexual assault.

Taylor Denise Schabusiness is a wife and mother. Her toddler son is living with his grandparents in Texas.

Her husband, Warren, is currently incarcerated for federal drug charges, and her father is locked away for second degree sexual assault of a child.

In a filmed interrogation, Taylor Schabusiness offered up disturbing details of Shad’s demise;

• The couple were engaging in a methamphetamine-fueled sexcapade.
• Taylor started choking her boyfriend as foreplay — but she “enjoyed it” and “wanted to see what would happen.”
• After Shad suffocated to death, Taylor decapitated him with a kitchen knife. She was allegedly very excited about abusing his corpse.
• She had sexual contact with the corpse and decapitated head, and during this activity severed Shad’s penis.
• Schabusiness then completely dismembered Shad’s body, removed his internal organs and placed one of his feet in his chest cavity.

Taylor Schabusiness appeared in Brown County Courthouse in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on May 31, 2023

Defendant: Taylor Schabusiness

Victim: Shad Thyrion

Victim’s Mother:  Tara Pakanich

911 caller: Steve Hendricks

911 Dispatch Center: Amy Shannon

First responder: Alex Wanish, Green Bay Police Department

Brown County Medical Examiner: Petra Schwab

Dane County Medical Examiner: Dr Vincent Tranchida

Judge: Thomas J. Walsh

State Attorney: Caleb Saunders

First Defense Attorney: Quinn Jolly

Second Defense Attorney: Christopher Froelich

Schabusiness was initially represented by Defense Attorney Quinn Jolly,  but after she attacked him in the courtroom, he stood down and Schabusiness’ defense was taken on by Christopher Froelich.

The defense team argued that Schabusiness was addled by years of drug abuse and trauma and was not a monster.

Judge Thomas J. Walsh ruled that she was a risk to the public, and sentenced her to life without extended supervision for murder, plus an additional ten and a half years for mutilation of a corpse and sexual assault. 

Name:  SCHABUSINESS, TAYLOR DENISE

DOC:      00705826

Birth Year:           1997

Status:  INCARCERATED

Institution:  Taycheedah Correctional Institution

Region Unit Office:  Unit 405

Region Unit Agent:  04 05 04

                200 N Jefferson ST

                Suite: 328

                Green Bay, WI 54301

Maximum Discharge Date:  01/20/9999

Mandatory Release/Extended Supervision Date:  01/20/9999

Parole Eligibility Date: N/A

Registered Sex Offender:           

Registration Begin:  07/27/2023

Registration End:  LIFE REGISTRATION

Compliance Status: COMPLIANT

Criminal code: 940.225(3) : Third-Degree Sexual Assault

One Hour Condensed Trial on Court in the Act (click the image):

Brown County Case Number 2022CF000363 

State of Wisconsin vs. Taylor Denise Schabusiness: