Death Penalty Sought for Suspect in Professor’s Murder

Prosecutors are aiming for the death penalty for the individual charged with the murder of Dr. Julie Gard Schnuel, a former university professor. Recently released details paint a chilling picture of how she was attacked while walking her dog.

This announcement was made on Monday when 28-year-old Rashad Dabney III was brought to court facing two counts of capital murder.

According to investigators, Schnuel, a 59-year-old retired veterinarian and former professor at Auburn University, was approached unexpectedly by a stranger on a trail in Auburn’s Kiesel Park while she was walking her dogs on Saturday morning.

Authorities say she was dragged into a wooded area, hundreds of feet away from the main path, where she suffered multiple stab wounds. Thankfully, her dog was later found unharmed near her body.

Evidence reportedly links Dabney directly to the crime scene.

During the attack, it appears that Schnuel’s keys were taken. The suspect fled in a red Ford F-150, which was later discovered abandoned in a creek bed about five miles from Kiesel Park.

Just a day after the incident, Dabney was apprehended when someone called 911 about a suspicious individual around two miles from where the truck was located.

Dabney had prior legal troubles, facing charges related to firearms, including a shotgun, after being arrested in Virginia in December 2023. His only previous court appearance seemed minor—a speeding ticket in Montgomery back in 2016.

In his first hearing at the Lee County Courthouse on Monday, Dabney appeared in a black and white prison uniform and informed District Judge Jeff Tickal that he couldn’t afford an attorney.

Lee County District Attorney Jessica Benchier confirmed her intention to pursue the death penalty in this case.