A retired Auburn University veterinarian was found stabbed to death in a wooded area of a campus-area park on Saturday afternoon, and a 28-year-old man was arrested the next day and charged with two counts of capital murder, authorities said.
Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle, 59, was discovered in Kiesel Park near the 500 block of Chadwick Lane after a 911 caller reported finding her body shortly after 2 p.m., Auburn police said. The coroner pronounced her dead at the scene; investigators said her injuries were consistent with an assault caused by a sharp object believed to be a knife. Her dog was unharmed and is in the care of family members.
Police arrested Harold Rashad Dabney III on Sunday morning in the 2300 block of Beehive Road after officers responded to reports of a suspicious person in the area, the Auburn Police Department said. Dabney was taken to the Lee County Jail and is being held without bond. Warrants have not yet been released, but local news station WRBL reported the charges are likely to include murder during a robbery and murder during a kidnapping, both of which can elevate a homicide to capital murder under Alabama law.
Preliminary police reports indicate a red Ford F-150 registered to Schnuelle was taken from the park and later abandoned roughly five miles away near a pumpkin patch; the truck was recovered after Dabney’s arrest, authorities said. Schnuelle’s body was transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for a postmortem examination.
Schnuelle taught in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine from 2003 until her retirement in 2021. In a statement Sunday, the university called her “a beloved member of Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and the Auburn Family” and extended condolences to her family and loved ones. The statement said Auburn police are leading the investigation and directed further questions to law enforcement.
Former students and colleagues remembered Schnuelle for her dedication to teaching and what they described as a warm, outspoken manner. “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. Schnuelle is survived by her husband, Archie, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and their children, the university said.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, wrote 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 family and for justice to be served.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the attack, and investigators have not said whether the suspect personally knew Schnuelle. Police said their investigation is ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact the Auburn Police Department.
Capital murder in Alabama is defined as an intentional killing committed with certain statutory aggravating factors and carries the possibility of a death sentence or life imprisonment without parole. Prosecutors must present the case to pursue a capital sentence, and warrants outlining the specific charges and allegations are typically filed after investigators complete preliminary interviews and evidence collection.
Kiesel Park, a 124-acre public park known for trails and wooded areas near the Auburn campus, is frequented by residents and students. Schnuelle was understood to have visited the park routinely to walk her dog, according to people who knew her. The incident has drawn attention across the Auburn community and prompted public expressions of grief and calls for more information as the investigation proceeds.
The Auburn Police Department and the Lee County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment Sunday evening. Local law enforcement agencies said they will provide updates as they develop and asked anyone with video or other evidence of the area around Kiesel Park Saturday morning to contact investigators.