Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle Was Killed While Walking Her Dog in a Park — What Happened?

Another brutal, random murder has occurred less than a month after a Ukrainian refugee was fatally stabbed on a light rail train in Charlotte, N.C.

In both situations, women were the victims of unprovoked attacks that occurred while they were simply going about their day. Iryna Zarutska, the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was on her way home from work when she was killed.

Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle, a 59-year-old retired Auburn University professor, was walking her dog.

Following the news of Dr. Gard Schnuelle's death, friends and family took to social media in order to eulogize a person who clearly meant a lot to them. Jordan Farrell studied under Dr. Gard Schnuelle at Auburn University.

He shared his thoughts about Dr. Schnuelle in a lengthy post to Facebook, calling her an amazing person and role model. Farrell is not alone in this sentiment. What happened to Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle? Here's what we know.

What should have been like any other Saturday turned deadly for Dr. Gard Schnuelle, who brought her dog to Kiesel Park, Auburn’s largest public green space, on Sept. 6.

According to WRBL, this was a routine she always loved and looked forward to. Sometime that morning, Dr. Gard Schnuelle was attacked in a wooded area, where she was fatally stabbed. Her dog was later found safe but Dr. Gard Schnuelle's red Ford F-150 truck was gone.

A call to 911 was made at 2:07 p.m. when someone reported seeing a body in the woods. Lee County Coroner Daniel Sexton pronounced Dr. Gard Schnuelle dead at he scene and said later reported her wounds were consistent with a "sharp object," most likely a knife.

Police made an arrest the following morning after someone contacted police about a suspicious person mere miles from Kiesel Park. Officers ascertained that this man, identified as Harold Rashad Dabney III, was likely involved.

Dabney was arrested at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 7 and was subsequently charged with two counts of capital murder. Alabama law allows for multiple counts of capital murder if the state believes the murder meets more than one aggravating factor. The prosecution included kidnapping and robbery charges, alleging that Dr. Gard Schnuelle was intentionally killed while being abducted and robbed of her vehicle.

He is being held without bond.

The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine honored Dr. Gard Schnuelle in a post to Facebook, writing that she was a "beloved educator, mentor, researcher and colleague whose passion for teaching, dedication to students, and commitment to theriogenology earned the respect and admiration of all who knew her."

Beneath the post, numerous people took the time to share their thoughts and feelings about Dr. Gard Schnuelle. One person commented that she was tiny but tough, and recalled how loving Dr. Gard Schnuelle was towards the older animals and in particular, an elderly member of the school's dairy herd they called 65. "When we'd pass 65 in the barn, Dr Gard would always pause rounds to go sit with her for a minute and give the old girl a treat or a rub."

Every single story that people shared on social media tells the story of a deeply kind person who cared about life. So many former students said she was their favorite professor, citing that she was the one who inspired them to work in the veterinary field.

"Such a wonderful person," wrote one former student. "I am so lucky to have known her."