Retired Auburn professor killed during robbery at Alabama park, prosecutors say

A man has been charged with capital murder in connection with the killing of retired professor Julie Gard Schnuelle during a robbery in Alabama over the weekend, according to officials and court documents.

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.