Horner convicted; sentencing set for Dec. 22
A jury on Thursday convicted Jason Lee Horner, 41, of second-degree unintentional murder, but acquitted him of the more serious count of second-degree intentional murder.
He was also found guilty of third-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, second-degree manslaughter and possession of a firearm after being convicted for a crime of violence.
Sentencing has been set for 10 a.m. Dec. 22; he faces at least 12 years in prison, pending the findings of the pre-sentence investigation.
Horner was accused of killing Sabrina Lee Schnoor, 25, on May 29, 2023. Worried friends found her body on May 30, 2023, under an Interstate 35 overpass in Owatonna, near the Steele County Administration Building.
Schnoor, who had been in an on-and-off again relationship with Horner, had told the friends she planned to meet him that night in Owatonna.
The medical examiner testified that she died of an intraoral gunshot wound to the head; the defense claimed her death was accidental.
The jury deliberated for about seven hours before reaching the verdict, following an 11-day trial.
“Today’s verdict held Mr. Horner accountable for his act of domestic violence in the homicide of Sabrina Schnoor,” Steele County Attorney Rob Jarrett said in a statement.
“While no outcome can ever heal the heartbreak of losing a loved one, I hope today’s verdict brings some peace and comfort to Sabrina’s family and loved ones,” he said.
Defense attorneys Steve Bergeson and Barry Cattadoris declined comment, “out of respect to our client, the process and the families – both the families.”
The firearm used in the shooting has not been recovered, preventing forensic testing for DNA or fingerprints.
Michael Woods, who did much of the testing of items collected as evidence, said the DNA found on many of the items contained a mixture of DNA, and Horner was ruled out as a contributor of some of those mixtures.
A “major male contributor” of DNA on a bandolier containing shotgun shells found at the scene was identified, but the man was not offered as an alternative perpetrator.
Dr. Ross Reichard, who conducted Schnoor’s autopsy on June 1, 2023, rule the manner of death as homicide, calling it a medical term as opposed to a legal definition, “because it’s my opinion that she died at the hands of another individual … based on the totality of the autopsy report and the investigative findings, photographs (of the scene), etc.”
Horner admitted in an interview with Owatonna Police detectives the morning of his arrest on June 4, 2023, that he was present when Schnoor died, but claimed she slammed the butt of the shotgun on the ground, causing it to accidentally discharge.
Jarrett thanked the OPD and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for their partnership and “thorough investigation of this case.”
He also expressed his gratitude to Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Mary Russell, the Office of the Attorney General and its staff “for their hard work and dedication to this case.”
Horner remains in custody pending his sentencing.
As Judge Joseph Bueltel prepared to adjourn the hearing, Horner’s mother asked from the gallery if she could speak to her son.
“No,” Bueltel said, and left the stand.