Investigators allege that a retired Auburn University veterinary professor was dragged several hundred yards into a wooded section of Kiesel Park and stabbed to death while walking her dog, and police arrested a suspect the next day on capital murder charges.
Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle, 59, was found dead Saturday afternoon in a wooded area of the 124‑acre park near the 500 block of Chadwick Lane in Auburn, Alabama, after a 911 caller reported finding a body, authorities said. The Lee County coroner pronounced her dead at the scene, and her body was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for a postmortem examination.
Police said the suspect, identified as 28‑year‑old Harold Rashad Dabney III, dragged Schnuelle into the woods before stabbing her multiple times with what investigators described as a blade or knife. Dabney was arrested Sunday morning in the 2300 block of Beehive Road after officers responded to reports of a suspicious person in that area, authorities said.
Police allege Dabney stole Schnuelle's red Ford F‑150 and later abandoned it near a pumpkin patch roughly five miles from the park; the truck was recovered after his arrest. Schnuelle's dog was found unharmed and is in the care of family members, police said.
Dabney was charged with two counts of capital murder — murder during a kidnapping and murder during a robbery. Under Alabama law, capital murder is an intentional killing accompanied by specified aggravating factors. He made his first court appearance Monday and is being held without bond in the Lee County Jail. If convicted, he faces the death penalty or life in prison.
Authorities have not released a motive and said it was unclear whether Schnuelle and Dabney knew one another or whether she was targeted at random. The Auburn Police Department is leading the investigation, according to university officials, and additional details were expected as investigators continue to interview witnesses and process evidence.
Schnuelle had been a faculty member in Auburn University's Department of Clinical Sciences from 2003 until her retirement in 2021. The university issued a statement Sunday saying Schnuelle "was a beloved member of the Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine and the Auburn Family" and offering condolences to her family.
Former students described Schnuelle as a dedicated teacher with a lively personality. "She was spunky and ready to make jokes. But if she saw something she didn't like, she would always stand up for you and for herself," former student Dr. Ashley Rutter told AL.com. Another former student called her "a force in this world" and said she would be greatly missed.
Schnuelle is survived by her husband, Archie, who works as a licensed marriage and family therapist, and their children. Gadsden State Police Department issued a statement offering prayers for the family.
Investigators said they responded to the park shortly after 2 p.m. on Saturday. Dabney was taken into custody the following morning, and court records showed his initial appearance was held Monday. Law enforcement officials said the case remains under active investigation, and they asked anyone with information to contact the Auburn Police Department.
The killing has prompted condolences from local and state officials. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, posted on X that he and his wife were "devastated by the news of this tragic loss in our community" and said they were praying for the victim's family and for justice to be served.
As investigators continue their work, prosecutors will determine whether to seek the death penalty, and authorities said further forensic and witness information will guide the case toward trial. For now, Schnuelle's death has left colleagues, students and neighbors mourning a longtime educator and veterinarian whose daily walks in Kiesel Park ended in a fatal assault under investigation.