GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Despite ruling Taylor Schabusiness competent to stand trial for allegedly killing and decapitating a man, the judge has opened the door to reconsider the ruling.
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.
Competency refers to the defendant’s ability to understand the court proceedings and assist in their own defense.
Schabusiness was found competent to stand trial in May. The issue was raised again this fall, when she was again found competent in a Nov. 18 report. A third, related psychiatric exam supported that ruling.
At a hearing last month, defense attorney Quinn Jolly asked the court for another exam, to be performed by a psychiatrist from a different office. But Judge Thomas Walsh denied that motion, saying he was satisfied Schabusiness is competent, given the three reports.
But on Monday, Judge Walsh scheduled a hearing for this Friday to discuss scheduling the case in order to specifically accommodate the defense’s request.
“It is my understanding from the office of defense counsel that Ms. Schabusiness would like to exercise her right to retain an independent evaluator to assess her competency and thereby contest the findings of the November 18, 2022 evaluation. In light of this, it makes sense that we schedule a contested hearing on competency when experts can testify as to their findings,” Judge Walsh said in a letter to the attorneys.
Friday’s hearing will only handle the scheduling of contested competency hearing, not the results thereof.
The trial is currently scheduled to start March 6.
“Although the court’s ruling on this issue may impact the course of this case, I am not changing any of the previously scheduled dates at this time,” Judge Walsh wrote.
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.
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