Taylor Schabusiness, a Wisconsin woman convicted of one of the most gruesome murders in recent U.S. history, is now facing a complicated legal situation. After requesting the removal of her public defender, she has been left without any legal representation in her ongoing appeal and other criminal cases. Schabusiness, who is serving a life sentence for the brutal killing of Shad Thyrion, is also facing charges in a second case involving an alleged attack on a prison nurse.
Shocking 2022 Murder Case
In 2022, Taylor Schabusiness was arrested for the murder of 25-year-old Shad Thyrion in Green Bay, Wisconsin. According to police, the two had taken methamphetamine and then engaged in sexual activity, after which Schabusiness choked Thyrion to death. She then decapitated his body, sexually assaulted his corpse, and dismembered his remains using a bread knife.
His mother made the horrifying discovery when she found his head and genitalia inside a bucket at home. The crime scene left investigators deeply disturbed, and the community shocked.
Mental Illness Defense Rejected by Jury
Schabusiness entered a plea of “not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect,” hoping the court would consider her mental health in the case. However, the jury decided that she was of sound mind at the time of the murder. She was found guilty of murder, sexual assault, and mutilating a corpse and sentenced to life in prison.
Multiple Attorneys Withdraw After Being Attacked
Since her trial, Schabusiness has been involved in additional legal trouble. She is now facing charges for allegedly attacking a prison nurse with a metal tray. Meanwhile, her legal representation has been unstable. She has now gone through four different public defenders:
Quinn Jolly withdrew after Schabusiness attacked him during a court hearing.
Curtis Julka also stepped down after a courtroom attack during her second criminal case.
Christopher Froelich briefly replaced Jolly but later withdrew.
Gregory Petit, her appellate attorney, filed a no merit report and was then fired by Schabusiness.
Petit had argued that Schabusiness had a fair trial and there were no legal grounds for an appeal. Although she had approved the filing initially, she later changed her mind and removed him from the case.
Public Defenders Refuse to Assign New Lawyer
After firing Petit, the Office of the Wisconsin State Public Defender informed the court that it would no longer provide Schabusiness with any more legal representation. A court filing dated May 14 confirmed that she would now have to either represent herself or hire a private lawyer.
As of now, Schabusiness has not hired a new attorney and missed the extended deadline to file appeal documents. This likely means she has lost the chance to appeal her murder conviction.
Ongoing Case for Prison Nurse Attack
Even though most of her legal support has ended, Schabusiness still has a pending criminal case. She agreed to a plea deal in the case where she is accused of attacking a prison nurse. Her sentencing for that matter is scheduled for June 6.
