Man arrested after beloved former Auburn University professor slain while dogwalking in park

On Saturday, September 6, Auburn, Alabama, police officers responded to a 911 call reporting someone who was apparently dead at a park in the city. Once there, officers found retired Auburn University professor Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle deceased.

Authorities say Gard Schnuelle, 59, was fatally attacked while walking her dog in Kiesel Park in Auburn that day. The suspect, Harold Rashad Dabney III, has since been arrested and charged with the crime. He is currently being held without bond as authorities continue their investigation.

What happened to Dr. Gard Schnuelle?

According to Auburn police, Gard Schnuelle drove her beloved dog to Kiesel Park, a favorite local green space. Around 2 p.m. that day, a call came in reporting a body found in a wooded area of the park.

First responders discovered Gard Schnuelle, who had suffered injuries consistent with a violent assault. The coroner noted that the trauma matched injuries inflicted by a sharp object, likely a knife.

Her dog, found at the scene, was unharmed. In the immediate aftermath, authorities closed off Kiesel Park and launched a full-scale investigation.

Harold Rashad Dabney III’s arrest

Just one day later, police responded to a report of a suspicious person spotted roughly four miles from where Gard Schnuelle was found. When officers encountered the individual, they identified him as Harold Rashad Dabney III, a 28-year-old resident of Montgomery, Alabama, about 55 miles southwest of Auburn.

Officers reportedly tied Dabney III to the homicide through Dr. Gard Schnuelle’s red Ford F-150, which had been reported missing after the attack, but was later recovered near the scene. Dabney III was arrested without bond and booked into the Lee County Jail, where he is currently held on two counts of capital murder.

As of September 8, Dabney III remains in custody, held without bond at the Lee County Jail. He faces two counts of capital murder and the theft of Dr. Gard Schnuelle’s vehicle.

It is not yet publicly known whether Dabney III has retained legal counsel or entered a plea. Police have not disclosed a motive, and it’s unclear if Dabney III knew the victim before the crime.

Meanwhile, the investigation remains active and ongoing, with multiple agencies assisting Auburn Police in piecing together the events that led to this tragedy.

Schnuelle was a “force of nature”

Dr. Gard Schnuelle was a distinguished educator and veterinarian, cherished by students and colleagues alike. She served in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine from 2003 until her retirement in 2021, when she became professor emerita. Friends remembered her as a “force of nature.”

The Auburn University community has expressed profound sorrow. In a statement, the university extended “sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Dr. Gard Schnuelle during this unimaginably difficult time,” emphasizing that “all questions should be referred to” Auburn Police as they continue leading the investigation.