Man Killed Retired Auburn Professor at Alabama Dog Park, Police Say

Harold Rashad Dabney III was arrested Sunday on two counts of capital murder in the death of Dr. Julie Schnuelle, 59, a veterinarian and mother whose body was found in a dog park on Saturday.

A man fatally assaulted a retired Auburn University professor and veterinarian on Saturday while she was walking her dog in Auburn, Ala., the police said.

The police said the man, Harold Rashad Dabney III, 28, of Montgomery, Ala. was arrested on Sunday on two counts of capital murder in the killing of Dr. Julie Schnuelle, 59, a mother whose body was found in a wooded area of Kiesel Park, which has a popular off-leash area and is a few minutes’ drive from campus. The cause of death was “multiple sharp force injuries,” the local coroner’s office said. As of Monday evening, a weapon had not been recovered.

Mr. Dabney also stole Dr. Schnuelle’s red Ford pickup truck, which had been parked nearby, the police said. Dr. Schnuelle’s dog was found safe and returned to her family.

The next day, about 8:30 a.m., the police got a report of a “suspicious person” about three miles south of the crime scene. They identified the man as Mr. Dabney and connected him to the homicide, they said. Mr. Dabney was arrested, and the red pickup truck that they say he had stolen from Dr. Schnuelle was recovered.

The police would not comment further on the details of the murder or what had led them to charge Mr. Dabney. The Lee County District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for more information about the killing.

Mr. Dabney is being held without bond at the Lee County Jail. It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer.

Former students of Dr. Schnuelle, who retired from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021, described her on social media as a talented and kind person who cared deeply about her community. One wrote, “This past weekend the world lost an amazing person and role model.”

“No matter what she had going on, she always had time to talk,” Destinee Bearden Patterson, another former student, said in a Facebook post.

Dr. Schnuelle was a specialist in animal reproduction, dairy production and bovine embryology.

In a statement, the university said that Dr. Schnuelle earned her degree in veterinary medicine in 1996 and became a professor in 2015. She later worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and even in retirement, had continued to remain engaged with the university.

“She was a cherished educator, mentor and colleague” whose dedication to students and passion for her fields of study left a lasting impact, the university said.

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, a Republican and former Auburn University football coach, said on social media that he and his wife were “devastated by the news of this tragic loss in our community.” He added, “We are praying for the victim’s family and loved ones and for justice to be served.”

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