On Wednesday, an Alabama judge advanced a murder case involving a cherished former Auburn University professor to a Lee County grand jury. The case stems from a tragic incident in September.
According to AL.com, Harold Rashad Dabney III, aged 28, is charged with capital murder linked to both a kidnapping and a theft, following the death of Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle, who was 59 years old.
During Wednesday’s 45-minute session at the Lee County Justice Center, Dabney remained silent while Lee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Gerald Tickal determined there was sufficient evidence to proceed with the charges. This decision was influenced by testimony from Auburn Police Detective Taylor Clark.
Detective Clark was the sole witness to take the stand during the proceedings.
Authorities discovered Schnuelle, a professor emerita from Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Clinical Sciences, deceased on September 6 at Kiesel Park in Auburn.
Clark reported that surveillance footage from Kiesel Park captured Schnuelle arriving with her dog around 9:30 a.m. on September 6, driving a red Ford F-150.
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At 1:54 p.m., police responded to the scene after a witness at the park discovered the professor’s body near a walking trail.
Clark said that upon arrival at the park, he noticed two pools of blood on the trail. He located Schnuelle’s body around 25 to 30 yards away from the trail, behind a tree.
Clark, who said it appeared that Schnuelle had been dragged, added he found her visor and dog leash about 10 to 15 yards away from the body, soaked in blood. He also located her phone in the same area.
An initial autopsy report indicated that Schnuelle had been stabbed seven times. Clark said that she had been stabbed in her neck, chest, right hand, and forearm.
Security footage from the park’s parking lot showed a man matching the defendant’s description using a key fob to locate Schnuelle’s truck. At around 10:29 a.m., he got into the truck and drove away.
The following morning, while following up on a call regarding a suspicious person near the 2300 block of Beehive Road, police encountered Dabney. While searching him, they found Schnuelle’s MAX credit card in his underwear. He also had on Adidas shoes that appeared to match the same pair worn by the suspect in the park’s security footage.
Clark said that a fingerprint found on the truck also matched Dabney. Blood evidence found inside the truck and under Schuelle’s fingernails is currently being tested at the Department of Forensic Sciences.
The weapon used during the attack has not been found.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ashley Rutter told Al.com last month that the park is a popular area for Auburn’s veterinary students. It’s where Schnuelle took daily jogs with her dogs.
“She was always so welcoming. She was spunky and ready to make jokes. But if she saw something she didn’t like, she would always stand up for you and for herself,” Rutter said.
“She’d be there to defend you and help you out.”
Schnuelle was listed as a professor emerita in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dabney remains behind bars without bail. Check back for updates. The Lee County District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty, according to ABC 33.
[Feature Photo via Jeffcoat Trant Funeral Home]
