16: How Did Taylor Schabusiness Become So Evil?

In a harrowing three-day trial, Taylor Schabusiness, 25, has been found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, third-degree sexual assault, and mutilating a corpse in the case of Shad Thyrion's brutal murder and dismemberment. The disturbing events unfolded in February 2022 when Thyrion, 25, was killed and dismembered in his mother's basement.
During the trial, the prosecution presented a horrifying sequence of events. They alleged that Schabusiness took advantage of Thyrion during a sexual encounter that turned rough, leading her to strangle him with a chain until he was dead. Shockingly, Schabusiness then engaged in further sexual acts with the lifeless body before dismembering it into several pieces and scattering them throughout the victim's home and a vehicle.
The trial commenced with powerful opening statements from the prosecutors and the defense. The defense urged the jury to consider all aspects of the case, emphasizing that stories often have multiple sides.
Tara Pakanich, Thyrion's mother, told the court that she was awakened by a knock on her front door at 2:30 a.m. on February 23, 2022. She walked downstairs to see whether Thyrion was there, and when she couldn't find him, she went back upstairs and discovered the bucket with some of her son's remains.
Steve Hendricks, Ms. Pakanich's boyfriend, immediately dialed 911. Bodycam video of officers responding to the scene shows them examining the home's basement and sealing the crime scene after confirming the presence of a human head within the bucket.
Key testimony came from Dr. Vincent Tranchida, who confirmed that Thyrion's cause of death was strangulation, not a drug overdose as initially suggested. Tranchida described Thyrion's body as "eviscerated," with organs removed. A police officer from the Green Bay Police Department also testified, revealing incriminating evidence found at the scene, including bloody footprints around Schabusiness' van and blood on her hands.
 During the trial's third day, the prosecution presented a video recording of Schabusiness' chilling interview with the police on February 23. In the footage, she admitted to strangling Thyrion, providing detailed accounts of the events leading to his death. Shockingly, a photo of notorious Wisconsin serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was found on Schabusiness' phone, indicating her fascination with him.
According to the criminal complaint, Schabusiness confessed to investigators that she and Thyrion were using drugs, including meth, at the time of the incident. The trial revealed that she had used knives from the kitchen to carry out the gruesome dismemberment. She claimed she had initially intended to take all the body parts with her but ultimately abandoned the plan due to laziness.
Throughout the trial, the state presented 28 witnesses, while the defense had only one witness who could not attend due to a medical issue. Despite a motion for a mistrial, Judge Thomas Walsh denied it.
The next trial phase will investigate whether Schabusiness suffered from a mental disease or defect at the time of the killing, possibly influencing her responsibility for the crime.

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