A man has been charged with capital murder in connection with the killing of a retired professor during a robbery in Alabama over the weekend, according to officials and court documents.
Auburn University identified the victim as College of Veterinary Medicine professor emerita Julie Gard Schnuelle. The Auburn Police Department said in a statement she was 59.
The university said she worked there from 2003 to 2021 and also served as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s top veterinarian for Alabama and Mississippi.
“Even in retirement, she remained an active and valued member of the College of Veterinary Medicine family,” Auburn said in a statement on Monday.
The attack took place at 10:17 a.m. on Saturday, according to the criminal complaint filed against defendant Harold Rashad Dabney III, identified by Auburn police as a resident of Montgomery, Alabama.
The complaint states that Schnuelle was killed during the commission of felony robbery. The Auburn Police Department said in a statement Sunday that Dabney stole the professor’s red Ford F-150 pickup after the murder, and that they recovered the vehicle.
Police said they found Schnuelle’s body Saturday in Kiesel Park after someone reported “a deceased person” there.
“The victim had injuries indicating the death was caused by an assault,” the police department said.
Dabney was arrested around 8:30 a.m. Sunday in an area roughly 5 miles south of Kiesel Park, the department said. Officers were responding to a report of a “suspicious person” when they came upon the defendant.
“Officers in contact with Dabney made observations that led them to believe Dabney had involvement with the homicide that occurred the previous day,” Auburn police said. “After further investigation, Dabney was confirmed to be the suspect responsible for the homicide.”
Though police said the defendant is from Montgomery, the court documents list an address for him in Auburn, about 4 miles east-northeast of Kiesel Park.
Court records show Dabney, 28, was being held without bail. His defense lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawyer has requested a preliminary hearing as well as access to any evidence against his client, according to the documents.
Following news of the murder, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, said in a statement, “Suzanne and I are devastated by the news of this tragic loss in our community. We are praying for the victim’s family and loved ones and for justice to be served.”
The university publication Auburn Veterinarian said in a 2019 article about the death of fellow veterinary professor Robert S. Hudson that he was among the first generation of theriogenologists at the school, who trained a second generation that included Schnuelle.
Theriogenology is the science and study of animal reproduction.
The American College of Theriogenologists lists the professor as having been married. It also said she graduated from Auburn in 1996.
In its statement about Schnuelle on Monday, Auburn University said, “She was a cherished educator, mentor and colleague whose dedication to students and passion for theriogenology and veterinary medicine left a lasting impact on Auburn.”
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