Death Penalty Sought in Auburn Professor's Murder: Community Mourns Loss After Brutal Park Attack

Auburn Professor's Murder: Death Penalty Sought in Brutal Park Attack A pall of grief has settled over the Auburn community following the brutal murder of Dr. Julee Gard Schnuelle, a respected 59-year-old Auburn University professor and veterinarian. Investigators describe her death as a "brutal attack" that occurred while she walked her dog at Kiesel Park. Prosecutors have confirmed they will seek the death penalty against 28-year-old Harold Rashad Dabney III of Montgomery, who is charged with two counts of capital murder: murder during a kidnapping and murder during a robbery. Dabney appeared before Lee County District Judge Jeff Tickal for his initial hearing on Monday afternoon. During the hearing, he stated he could not afford an attorney, prompting Judge Tickal to appoint Andrew Stanley and Arthur Vaughn to represent him. No bond was granted, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 8 at 10:30 a.m. to determine if the case will proceed to a grand jury. Cameras were not permitted inside the courtroom. Investigators allege that on Saturday morning, September 6, Dabney ambushed Dr. Schnuelle along a park trail, dragging her "several hundred yards into the woods" before stabbing her multiple times with a bladed object. Following the attack, Dabney allegedly stole Dr. Schnuelle's red Ford F-150, which was later found abandoned in a creek bed off County Road 137, less than five miles from Kiesel Park. The suspect was apprehended on Sunday morning after a 911 call reported a suspicious person on Beehive Road, approximately two miles from where the truck was discovered. Arrest warrants indicate Dabney intentionally inflicted the fatal injuries, and crime scene evidence directly links him to the killing. While court documents list an Auburn address for Dabney, investigators note his driver's license shows a Montgomery address. Records also show a 2016 speeding ticket in Montgomery and a December 2023 arrest in Virginia Beach on a weapons charge involving a sawed-off shotgun. Dr. Julee Schnuelle is remembered as a devoted wife, mother, daughter, friend, and professor. At Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine, she specialized in large animal and food animal medicine, was board-certified in theriogenology, and was highly respected nationwide in the bovine veterinary community, mentoring numerous future veterinarians. Two bouquets of flowers tied to the front gate of Kiesel Park serve as a "powerful, but tender reminder" of the community's profound loss and mourning.

Distractify

Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle Was Killed While Walking Her Dog in a Park — What Happ…

What happened to Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle? The retired Auburn professor was murdered in broad daylight. A suspect was quickly arrested.