A man charged with the killing of a retired Auburn University professor was arrested by Auburn police after detectives said they found evidence linking him to the slaying, and court records show he previously faced a gun-related felony that prosecutors later permitted to be reduced to misdemeanors.
Auburn police said officers responding to a 911 call found 59-year-old Julie Gard Schnuelle dead Saturday in a wooded area of Kiesel Park with injuries consistent with an assault. Schnuelle, a professor emerita at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and a former U.S. Department of Agriculture area veterinarian for Alabama and Mississippi, had been walking her dog; the animal was found unharmed. Police arrested 26-year-old Harold Rashad Dabney III on Sunday on two counts of capital murder. Police said the Ford F-150 Schnuelle was driving had been stolen and was subsequently recovered.
An arrest warrant and Virginia Beach police reports obtained by news outlets show Dabney was arrested on Dec. 27, 2023, in Virginia Beach and charged with a gun-related felony along with multiple misdemeanor counts. According to the warrant and police narrative, officers found Dabney sleeping in a car in a business parking lot, observed that he appeared intoxicated and uncooperative, and on searching the vehicle discovered a handgun missing a serial number, a sawed-off shotgun, white pills and an open container.
Dabney was charged at that time with felony possession or use of a sawed-off shotgun and misdemeanor counts including removing or altering a firearm's serial number, unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon, public intoxication and trespassing. Court records show prosecutors later allowed him to plead guilty to the misdemeanor counts while dropping the felony charge; he received 12 months of unsupervised probation for the misdemeanors.
Virginia Beach police noted in the earlier report that Dabney, homeless at the time, had no prior criminal record before the Dec. 2023 incident and that he had been employed months earlier. The report also said he refused to swear or affirm to tell the truth at a bail hearing. In the Auburn case, police said detectives "made observations that led them to believe Dabney had involvement with the homicide," prompting Sunday's arrest after a separate 8:30 a.m. call reporting a suspicious person.
Dabney is being held at the Lee County Jail without bond. Authorities have charged him with two counts of capital murder in the death of Schnuelle; investigators have not publicly released additional details about evidence linking him to the killing or the motive. Police said the stolen vehicle was recovered.
Auburn University issued a statement mourning Schnuelle, who retired in 2021 after serving as a faculty member from 2003 to 2021. The university described her as a cherished educator, mentor and colleague whose dedication to students and work in theriogenology and veterinary medicine left a lasting impact. The statement extended the university’s condolences to Schnuelle’s family and loved ones.
Officials involved in the investigation did not immediately release further information about the timeline of events leading up to Schnuelle’s death, pending ongoing inquiries. The case is under active investigation by Auburn police, and prosecutors will determine whether to pursue capital murder charges as the legal process moves forward.
The details of Dabney’s prior Virginia Beach arrest and plea agreement are publicly recorded in court documents and police reports from that jurisdiction. The handling of the earlier felony charge — including the decision by prosecutors to accept misdemeanors in plea — has not been linked by authorities to the current homicide investigation. Auburn police have asked anyone with information to contact investigators as they continue to process the scene and pursue leads.