AUBURN, Ala. (WRBL) – Two bouquets of flowers tied to the front gate of Kiesel Park speak to the grief and pain now stunning the Auburn community.

Julee Gard Schnuelle, a retired professor and veterinarian from Auburn University, lost her life in a tragic incident described by authorities as a violent attack. She was simply walking her dog in the well-known community park.

Lee County District Attorney Jessica Ventiere plans to pursue the death penalty against Harold Rashad Dabney III, a 28-year-old from Montgomery. Dabney faces two charges of capital murder, including murder during a kidnapping and murder during a robbery.

This past Monday, Dabney made his initial court appearance before Lee County District Judge Jeff Tickal. Wearing a prison uniform, Dabney informed the judge of his inability to afford a lawyer. Consequently, the judge appointed Andrew Stanley and Arthur Vaughn as his attorneys.

Dabney was denied bond, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 8th at 10:30 a.m. Judge Tickal will then determine if the case should proceed to a grand jury. Note that the Monday hearing did not allow any cameras inside.

Authorities suspect that Schnuelle was walking her dog on Saturday morning when Dabney allegedly ambushed her on a park trail. It is alleged that he dragged her several hundred yards into the woods and assaulted her with a sharp object.

Following the attack, Dabney is accused of stealing Schnuelle’s keys and driving off in her red Ford F-150. The vehicle was eventually discovered abandoned in a creek off County Road 137, near Wire Road, less than five miles away from Kiesel Park.

On Sunday morning, a 911 call about a suspicious person came in from Beehive Road, only about two miles from where the truck was dumped. Officers responded and arrested Dabney around 8:30 a.m.

Arrest warrants state Dabney inflicted the injuries that caused Dr. Schnuelle’s death with intent to do so, and that crime scene evidence tied him directly to the killing. 

Court documents list a home address on Dunford Avenue in Auburn, and during Monday’s hearing, Dabney gave the Auburn address as his residence. Investigators, however, said his driver license lists a Montgomery address.

The only court cases WRBL could find was for a 2016 speeding ticket in Montgomery. We located a December 2023 arrest in Virginia Beach on a weapons charge involving a sawed-off shotgun. WRBL has reached out to Virginia Beach police for more information on the weapons case. We also found a registration of a short-lived trucking business, Excellent Carriage LLC, in Montgomery in 2024.

Schnuelle was a wife, mother, daughter, friend and professor remembered for her compassion and dedication. At the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, she specialized in large animal and food animal medicine and was board-certified in theriogenology (animal reproduction). Schnuelle was respected nationwide in the bovine veterinary community and mentored countless future veterinarians.