GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The second part of a hearing to determine if Taylor Schabusiness is competent to stand trial for allegedly murdering and decapitating a man will be held Feb. 15, the court said Friday.
Schabusiness, 25, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and third-degree sexual assault for allegedly attacking Shad Thyrion on Feb. 23. She has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. The trial is scheduled to start March 6.
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.
At a hearing two weeks ago, a doctor testified he believes Schabusiness is competent to stand trial.
Judge Thomas Walsh did not make a ruling then, however, because the defense requested a review by a psychiatrist of its choosing.
In a letter to the court filed Friday, attorney Quinn Jolly said that evaluation was done this week. The court then scheduled the Feb. 15 hearing.
Schabusiness is scheduled to stand trial March 6. If she is deemed competent to stand trial, Judge Walsh has repeatedly said he plans on the trial happening as planned. If she is deemed not competent, however, the trial would be canceled, as additional psychiatric treatment would be ordered.
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.
