Murder trial gets pushed out yet again

The trial of an Owatonna man accused of killing his former girlfriend has been pushed out another six weeks.

Jason Lee Horner, 40, faces one count each of second-degree intentional murder, not premeditated, and possession of a firearm/ammo after being convicted of a crime of violence.

A jury trial was supposed to begin Sept. 22; it is now set for Nov. 3 – the third trial start date in a case that has now stretched over two years.

Horner is accused of shooting Sabrina Lee Schnoor, 25, after arranging to meet her May 29, 2023, in Owatonna.

Schnoor’s friends became worried when they didn’t hear from her the next day; they found her body the night of May 30 under the Interstate 35 overpass near the Steele County Administration Building on Florence Avenue.

An autopsy indicated she’d been shot in the mouth; according to the medical examiner, the bullet cut through her spinal cord, killing her. Schnoor had also sustained a skull fracture and brain bleed before being shot.

The first trial date was set for June 2, but the results of a new autopsy opinion prompted Horner’s defense attorney to file a motion for a continuance, which Judge Joseph Bueltel granted – pushing the trial date out to Sept. 22.

It’s not clear why that date was later rescheduled.

In granting the continuation, Bueltel wrote it was “not an ideal solution – since it has been two years since the beginning of this case…” but is “necessary here” because of the importance of potential DNA findings.

If convicted, the murder charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.

Horner has been in custody since his arrest June 3, 2023.