An Alabama man faces capital murder charges in connection with the brutal killing of a respected Auburn University professor who was attacked while walking her dog in a local park.
Harold Rashad Dabney III, 28, has been arrested and charged with capital murder, kidnapping and robbery in the death of Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle, a 59-year-old retired veterinary professor.
Dr. Schnuelle was found dead in a wooded area of Kiesel Park on Saturday, September 6, after driving there to walk her dog.
The beloved professor leaves behind a husband and two children.
Police received a call at approximately 2:07 pm to the 500 block of Chadwick Lane reporting the discovery of a woman’s body in a wooded section of the park.
Officers responded to the scene immediately.
Lee County Coroner Daniel Sexton pronounced Dr. Schnuelle dead at the scene.
The coroner later confirmed that her injuries were consistent with wounds from a sharp object.
Authorities transported Dr. Schnuelle’s body to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for a postmortem examination.
Her dog was found safe at the scene and is now in the care of family and friends.
WRBL reported that the investigation moved quickly when Auburn police responded to another call the following morning.
On Sunday, officers were dispatched to the 2300 block of Beehive Road for a report about a suspicious person.
The location on Beehive Road sits just miles away from Kiesel Park where the attack occurred.
Officers located Dabney during their response to the suspicious person report.
Police stated that their observations of Dabney led them to believe he was connected to the murder case.
Further investigation identified him as the suspect responsible for Dr. Schnuelle’s killing.
“The media is silent,” Benny Johnson highlighted on X.
Schnuelle’s tragic end comes as outrage mounts online following the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on public transit.
Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor Vi Lyles’ comments have drawn backlash for emphasizing mental health concerns rather than public safety measures.
“We will never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness and mental health,” Lyles stated, Resist the Mainstream reported earlier this week.
“Mental health disease is just that — a disease like any other that needs to be treated with the same compassion, diligence and commitment as cancer or heart disease,” Lyles continued in her statement to local media outlets.
The mayor also defended the safety record of Charlotte’s public transportation system despite the fatal incident.
She characterized the transit system as being safe “by and large” for regular users.
The victim, Iryna Zarutska, was killed in late August while riding a light rail train in Charlotte.
The young woman had recently arrived in the United States seeking refuge from the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The suspect in the case has been identified as 29-year-old Decarlos Brown, who authorities say had no previous connection to Zarutska.
Lyles also reflected on broader questions of public safety in Charlotte following the incident.
“Like so many of you, I’m heartbroken — and I’ve been thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city. I remain committed to doing all we can to protect our residents and ensure Charlotte is a place where everyone feels safe,” she said.
