A man charged in the slaying of a retired Auburn University veterinarian had a 2023 weapons felony reduced to misdemeanors and received unsupervised probation, court records and arrest affidavits show, a detail that emerged as investigators probe the killing of a widely respected professor.
Harold Rashad Dabney III, 26, was arrested and later booked on two counts of capital murder in the death of Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle, 59, who was found fatally stabbed in Kiesel Park on Saturday. Authorities say Schnuelle, a professor emerita at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine, was walking her dog when she was dragged several hundred yards into woods and stabbed multiple times; the coroner pronounced her dead at the scene.
Police said Dabney was arrested the next day after officers responded to reports of a suspicious person and made observations that led them to believe he was involved in the homicide. Investigators allege Schnuelle's Ford F-150 was taken during the incident. Dabney was booked in Lee County Jail without bond and had his initial court appearance on Monday. He faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted on charges of murder during a kidnapping and murder during a robbery.
Records and an arrest warrant first made public by media describe a December 2023 arrest in Virginia Beach in which officers encountered Dabney sleeping in the driver’s seat of a car after reports of trespassing. The warrant and affidavit state officers found a handgun under the driver's seat with its serial number removed, a sawed-off shotgun in the back seat and white pills. The affidavit says Dabney told an officer he was "f---ed up" and declined further comment.
He was initially charged with felony possession or use of a shotgun, along with misdemeanor counts including altering a firearm's serial number, carrying a concealed weapon unlawfully, public intoxication and trespassing. Court records show the felony count was dropped in exchange for guilty pleas to several misdemeanors. Dabney received a sentence of 12 months of unsupervised probation; according to the records cited by media, that probation would have ended roughly nine months before Schnuelle's killing.
Authorities have not released a motive for the killing, and it was not immediately clear whether Schnuelle and Dabney knew each other. Police said the investigation is ongoing and declined to provide additional details about how they linked Dabney to the homicide.
Auburn University's Department of Clinical Sciences released a statement Sunday confirming Schnuelle's death and describing her as "a beloved member" of the faculty. Schnuelle taught at the College of Veterinary Medicine from 2003 until her retirement in 2021. Former students and colleagues remembered her as welcoming, spirited and committed to defending and supporting students. She is survived by her husband, Archie, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and her children.
Local and state officials expressed condolences. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, and his wife said they were "devastated by the news" and offered prayers for Schnuelle's family and for justice to be served.
The disclosure that Dabney pleaded to misdemeanors in 2023 comes amid heightened public scrutiny of cases in which people accused of violent crimes previously faced criminal charges. In recent months, national attention has focused on other killings that prompted questions about earlier prosecution and sentencing decisions.
Legal experts say plea agreements that reduce felonies to misdemeanors are common in many jurisdictions and can be driven by a variety of factors, including evidentiary concerns, witness availability and prosecutorial discretion. Prosecutors in the Virginia Beach matter opted to pursue misdemeanor convictions rather than the firearm felony, according to the court records cited by media.
Lee County authorities have not released full details of the evidence that led to Dabney's capital murder charges. Investigators continue to work on the case, and officials have urged anyone with information to contact law enforcement.
Schnuelle's death has reverberated through the Auburn community, where students, faculty and alumni described her as an influential teacher and mentor. Tributes highlighted her small stature but strong presence and her dedication to veterinary education and to the students she trained.
The case now moves into the court process, where prosecutors will present evidence supporting the capital murder charges and the defense will have the opportunity to respond. Meanwhile, Auburn University and local leaders have said they will provide support to Schnuelle's family as the investigation and legal proceedings continue.