Auburn’s Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle Found Brutally Killed in Park as Puppy Stayed by Her Side and Police Charge Harold Rashad Dabney With Capital Murder
The kind of story that freezes you in place is the one that begins so ordinary. A woman walking her dog in the park on a quiet afternoon should be one of the safest and simplest joys of life. But in Auburn, Alabama, that daily moment turned into horror. Authorities confirmed that 59-year-old Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle, a respected professor and mother, was found dead in Kiesel Park after suffering fatal injuries in a brutal attack. She had been walking her puppy when she was attacked, and when officers arrived, they discovered the small dog sitting faithfully by her side, unwilling to leave her even in death.
Police moved quickly and charged 28-year-old Harold Rashad Dabney III with capital murder. According to investigators, Dabney not only attacked Schnuelle but also stole her red Ford F-150 truck. The capital charges stem from the killing during the course of a robbery and a kidnapping. It was an act of violence that has stunned the Auburn community and left students, friends, and colleagues reeling with disbelief. People who knew Dr. Schnuelle described her as kind, compassionate, and deeply dedicated to her students and her profession. She had built her career in veterinary sciences and carried that passion into her everyday life, touching those who worked alongside her.
The image of her puppy waiting next to her lifeless body is one that has spread quickly and broken hearts far beyond Alabama. It speaks to the love and loyalty pets feel for their owners, and it magnifies the tragedy by showing the innocence left behind in the middle of such senseless violence. It is a detail that no one will forget, a reminder of how human bonds—whether with family, friends, or even our animals—stand strong even when evil strikes.
For Auburn, this is more than just a news story. This is a wound in the center of their community. People have gathered to remember her, leaving flowers, lighting candles, and speaking quietly about the life she lived. She wasn’t just a professor; she was a mother and a mentor, someone who gave her time and knowledge to others. That she lost her life in a public park, in such a violent way, has left many people struggling to reconcile how such a thing could happen in a place they consider home.
As the legal process unfolds, Dabney faces charges that could carry the harshest penalties under Alabama law. But no matter the outcome in court, the hole left in the community remains. For those who knew her best, there is no way to fill the silence left by Dr. Schnuelle’s absence. Her name will now always be tied to tragedy, yet those who loved her want her remembered for more than the way she died. They want people to remember the decades of teaching, the kindness she offered so freely, and the gentle walks she took with her puppy, who never left her side.
