Who Is Taylor Schabusiness? Meth Murder Investigation

Taylor Schabusiness is a Wisconsin woman convicted of murdering and dismembering 24-year-old Shad Thyrion in Green Bay in February 2022. Prosecutors said Schabusiness strangled Thyrion with a metal chain during a drug-fueled sexual encounter, sexually assaulted his body after his death and dismembered him. A Brown County jury convicted Schabusiness in July 2023 of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and third-degree sexual assault. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release on extended supervision.

Taylor Schabusiness Murder Of Shad Thyrion

Schabusiness Strangled Thyrion With A Metal Chain During Sexual Encounter. Prosecutors said Schabusiness and Thyrion had been using methamphetamine before engaging in sexual activity in the basement of his mother’s Green Bay home. Schabusiness told investigators that strangulation had been incorporated into their sexual activity and that she tightened a metal chain around Thyrion’s neck until he died. [NBC 26]

Schabusiness Told Police She Continued Choking Thyrion Until He Stopped Breathing. According to the criminal complaint and testimony at trial, Schabusiness described continuing the strangulation as Thyrion coughed up blood and his face changed color. Investigators testified that she acknowledged deliberately continuing until he was dead. [WHBY]

Prosecutors Said Schabusiness Sexually Assaulted Thyrion After His Death. Schabusiness told investigators that after killing Thyrion she engaged in sexual activity with his body for several hours. The conduct formed the basis of the third-degree sexual assault charge on which she was later convicted. [Court TV]

Schabusiness Dismembered Thyrion Using Knives From His Home. Investigators said Schabusiness used knives from the kitchen to decapitate and dismember Thyrion. His remains were subsequently found in multiple containers and locations in the basement as well as inside a vehicle. [NBC 26]

Shad Thyrion Body Discovery

Thyrion’s Mother Found His Severed Head In A Bucket. In the early morning hours of February 23, 2022, Thyrion’s mother went into the basement after hearing a door and found a bucket covered with a towel. When she removed the covering, she discovered her son’s severed head and contacted authorities. [WISN]

Police Found Additional Human Remains Throughout Basement. Responding Green Bay officers found additional remains and organs inside bags, boxes and a plastic storage tote in the basement. Investigators also recovered knives, blood evidence and evidence of drug use. [WHBY]

Additional Body Parts Were Found Inside A Vehicle. Investigators searched a vehicle associated with Schabusiness and recovered additional parts of Thyrion’s body inside a box. Schabusiness told detectives she had originally intended to remove more of the remains from the house but abandoned that plan. [NBC 26]

Police Found Schabusiness With Apparent Blood On Her Clothing And Hands. Detectives located Schabusiness at another Green Bay residence after Thyrion’s remains were discovered. Officers reported seeing what appeared to be dried blood on her clothing and hands before taking her into custody. [Oxygen]

Taylor Schabusiness Charges

Schabusiness Charged With First-Degree Intentional Homicide. Brown County prosecutors charged Schabusiness with first-degree intentional homicide following the discovery of Thyrion’s remains and her interview with detectives. The charge exposed her to a mandatory life sentence if convicted. [WHBY]

Schabusiness Also Charged With Mutilating A Corpse And Third-Degree Sexual Assault. Prosecutors filed additional felony counts based on the dismemberment of Thyrion’s body and sexual conduct that investigators said occurred after his death. [Associated Press]

Judge Set Schabusiness’ Cash Bond At $2 Million. Schabusiness remained jailed while the homicide case proceeded, with a Brown County judge setting her cash bond at $2 million. [CBS News]

Taylor Schabusiness Competency And Insanity Defense

Schabusiness Entered Plea Of Not Guilty By Reason Of Mental Disease Or Defect. Along with contesting the criminal charges, Schabusiness pursued Wisconsin’s mental-disease-or-defect defense, which required a separate determination of whether mental illness prevented her from appreciating the wrongfulness of her actions. [Court TV]

Judge Found Schabusiness Competent To Stand Trial. Questions about Schabusiness’ ability to understand the proceedings delayed the case, but Brown County Circuit Judge Thomas Walsh ultimately ruled in March 2023 that she was competent to stand trial. [Associated Press]

Schabusiness Attacked Defense Attorney Quinn Jolly During Court Hearing. During a February 2023 competency hearing, Schabusiness suddenly attacked attorney Quinn Jolly after he requested additional time for a defense expert to review her competency. A sheriff’s deputy wrestled her to the courtroom floor, and Jolly later withdrew from representing her. [Associated Press]

Taylor Schabusiness Trial

Jury Convicted Schabusiness Of All Three Charges In July 2023. A Brown County jury deliberated for less than an hour before finding Schabusiness guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and third-degree sexual assault. [Associated Press]

Defense Questioned Whether Schabusiness Intended To Kill Thyrion. Defense attorney Christopher Froelich argued that the circumstances surrounding the strangulation were unclear and raised the possibility that Thyrion’s death occurred accidentally during sexual activity. Prosecutors argued Schabusiness’ statements and the physical evidence demonstrated intentional murder. [Associated Press]

Jury Rejected Schabusiness’ Mental Disease Or Defect Defense. After finding her guilty, the same jury heard a second phase of the trial concerning criminal responsibility. Jurors unanimously determined that Schabusiness did not suffer from a mental disease or defect that prevented her from understanding the wrongfulness of her conduct. [WTAQ]

Taylor Schabusiness Sentence

Schabusiness Sentenced To Life In Prison Without Possibility Of Release. Judge Thomas Walsh sentenced Schabusiness on September 26, 2023, to life imprisonment without eligibility for extended supervision on the first-degree intentional homicide conviction. [WBAY]

Judge Added Consecutive Prison Terms For Mutilation And Sexual Assault. Walsh imposed an additional seven and a half years of confinement for mutilating a corpse and another three years for third-degree sexual assault, with those sentences ordered consecutive to the life sentence. [FOX6 Milwaukee]

Judge Said Public Needed Protection From Schabusiness. During sentencing, Walsh emphasized the extraordinary nature of the crime and said Schabusiness’ behavior demonstrated a need to protect the public permanently. [Green Bay Press-Gazette]

Taylor Schabusiness Appeal

Schabusiness Filed Appeal Of Her Murder Conviction. Appellate proceedings began after her conviction, and attorney Gregory Petit was appointed to review the record for potential grounds to challenge the judgment or sentence. [NBC 26]

Appellate Attorney Said He Could Find No Meritorious Grounds For Appeal. Petit filed a no-merit report after reviewing the case, telling the Wisconsin Court of Appeals he could identify no viable legal issue that would justify overturning Schabusiness’ conviction. [WBAY]

Schabusiness Voluntarily Dismissed Her Appeal In June 2025. Schabusiness submitted a handwritten filing asking to end the appellate proceeding. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals formally dismissed State v. Taylor Denise Schabusiness on June 19, 2025. [Wisconsin Court System]

Taylor Schabusiness Prison Assault Case

Schabusiness Accused Of Attacking Prison Guard At Taycheedah Correctional Institution. Prosecutors filed a separate case alleging that in July 2024 Schabusiness lunged at a nurse during a medical visit and then attacked a correctional sergeant who intervened, striking the officer with a tray and swinging a metal table. [Court TV]

Schabusiness Lunged At Another Attorney During 2025 Court Hearing. During an April 2025 preliminary hearing in the prison-assault case, Schabusiness jumped from her seat and lunged toward defense attorney Curtis Julka before deputies tackled and removed her from the courtroom. Julka subsequently withdrew from the case. [Court TV]

Schabusiness Pleaded No Contest To Reduced Disorderly Conduct Charge. In October 2025, prosecutors reduced the original felony prisoner-battery charge and Schabusiness entered a no-contest plea to misdemeanor disorderly conduct, avoiding a scheduled trial. [Court TV]

Schabusiness Sentenced To 90 Days For Prison Guard Incident. A Fond du Lac County judge sentenced Schabusiness in December 2025 to 90 days in jail on the disorderly conduct conviction. The sentence did not materially affect her status because she is already serving life imprisonment for Thyrion’s murder. [NBC 26]

Relevant YouTube Videos