Authorities reveal cause of death in killing of retired college professor

Authorities believe the man accused of killing a retired Auburn University professor ambushed her and repeatedly hit her with a sharp object while she walked her dog Saturday.

Police in Auburn, Alabama, said Julie Gard Schnuelle, 59, was found dead Saturday in a wooded area of Kiesel Park with injuries consistent with an assault. Harold Rashad Dabney III, 26, was arrested on two counts of capital murder in the death of Schnuelle.

The Auburn Police Department said in a news release that Dabney was arrested Sunday following an 8:30 a.m. call reporting a "suspicious person," noting that detectives "made observations that led them to believe Dabney had involvement with the homicide." Dabney also stole Schnuelle's Ford F-150 pickup truck, authorities said. 

A spokesperson for the Lee County Coroner's Office told Fox News Digital Schnuelle died of "multiple sharp force injuries."

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According to WRBL News 3, detectives believe Dabney ambushed Schnuelle while she was walking her dog at Kiesel Park and dragged her hundreds of yards into the woods, stabbing her with a sharp object.

Schnuelle was a professor emerita at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine from 2003 to 2021, when she retired, the university said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

"The Auburn University community extends its sincere condolences to Gard Schnuelle’s family and loved ones for their tragic loss," a spokeswoman said.

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"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," the university said. "Dr. Gard Schnuelle’s legacy of compassion, scholarship and service will continue to inspire generations of veterinarians." 

Ashley Rutter, a former student of Schnuelle, told AL.com the professor went to Kiesel Park every day.

"She ran there every day," Rutter said. "She was always so welcoming. She was spunky and ready to make jokes. But if she saw something she didn’t like, she would always stand up for you and for herself."