Auburn police have identified the suspect charged in connection to the murder of a beloved retired Auburn veterinary professor.
Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle, 59, was found dead in a wooded area of Auburn’s Kiesel Park, located off Chadwick Lane, around 2 P.M. on Saturday, September 6, 2025. Schnuelle was found dead from injuries sustained in an assault in the back of the city’s largest park.
Kiesel Park, approximately 120 acres, is known to be a popular spot for residents to walk its ~2.25 mile gravel track, spend time with their family and dogs, and enjoy nature’s beauty.
Police confirmed a red F-150 was missing from the area of the crime scene, but was later located on Wire Road, also known as Lee Road 137, between County Road 54 E and Lee Road 008.
Auburn Police have identified the suspect as Harold Rashad Dabney III, from Montgomery, Alabama, and is charged with two counts of capital murder
Auburn Police say they responded to a call reporting a suspicious person near the 2300 block of Beehive Road around 8:30 A.M. on September 7, 2025.
“The suspicious person was located by officers and identified as Harold Rashad Dabney III,”police said. “Officers in contact with Dabney made observations that led them to believe Dabney had involvement with the homicide that occurred the previous day [Dr. Schnuelle’s death].”
After further investigation, Dabney was confirmed to be the suspect responsible for the homicide of Dr. Schnuelle, and he was charged with two counts of capital murder.
Dabney was transported to the Lee County Jail where he is being held without bond. The red Ford F-150, belonging to Schnuelle and stolen by Dabney subsequent to the homicide, has been recovered.
“Kiesel Park is temporarily closed to the public during the early stages of the investigation and will remain closed through the weekend,” police stated Saturday afternoon.
Anyone with any related information is encouraged to contact the Auburn Police Department at (334) 501-3100. Information can also be reported by calling or texting the tip line at (334) 246-1391 or by emailing police@auburnalabama.org.