Owatonna, Minnesota – A 41-year-old Minnesota man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after fatally shooting his former girlfriend through the mouth and abandoning her body beneath a highway overpass near railroad tracks, a crime prosecutors described as brutal and deliberate.
Incident overview
Jason Lee Horner was convicted in the killing of 25-year-old Sabrina Lee Schnoor, whose body was discovered beneath an Interstate 35 overpass in Owatonna, roughly 60 miles south of Minneapolis. Horner received an 18-year prison sentence after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.
What police found at the scene
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, officers responded at approximately 10 p.m. on May 30, 2023, to reports of a body near the train tracks under the I-35 overpass. Investigators determined Schnoor had died from a shotgun wound to the mouth.
The affidavit described severe injuries, noting that her jaw was missing, with bone fragments and teeth scattered in the rocks nearby, and visible blood spatter on and around her head. Authorities concluded the injuries were consistent with a close-range shotgun blast.
Events leading up to the killing
Court records show Horner and Schnoor previously dated but ended their relationship after she told others he was abusive. Surveillance footage from a convenience store captured the two together shortly after 9:30 p.m. on May 29, 2023.
After leaving the store, the pair were seen walking along the train tracks toward the overpass. Roughly an hour later, video showed Horner walking back alone, without Schnoor.
Prosecutors said this footage played a key role in establishing the timeline of events and Horner’s movements before and after the killing.
Prosecutors describe final moments
In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors painted a grim picture of Schnoor’s last moments.
“Sabrina Schnoor spent her last moments with a gun held against her mouth, or worse, inside her mouth,” prosecutors wrote. “Her body was left like trash underneath a dirty overpass while the defendant fled the scene.”
The court documents emphasized that the killing was not impulsive but followed a series of calculated actions that left Schnoor isolated and vulnerable.
How friends found her body
Before meeting Horner, Schnoor had shared her live location with friends using the Life360 app, according to investigators. When friends were unable to reach her the following day, they used the app’s location data to trace her last known position.
That information ultimately led them to the overpass area, where Schnoor’s body was discovered. Authorities credited the location-sharing feature with helping locate her and advancing the investigation.
Arrest and conviction
Following the discovery, police obtained an arrest warrant for Horner. He remained on the run for approximately five days before being arrested. Since then, he has been held in jail pending trial and sentencing.
Last month, a jury convicted Horner of second-degree murder and illegal firearm possession, clearing the way for Monday’s sentencing.
Officials and family react
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted the case, called the crime “shocking and appalling” and said justice was served with Horner’s sentence.
He added that his office worked closely with law enforcement to secure the conviction and expressed continued support for Schnoor’s loved ones.
Family members delivered emotional statements during the sentencing hearing. Schnoor’s great uncle, Robert Wood, addressed the court directly, expressing anger and grief over the loss.
Her grandmother, Marni Schnoor, remembered Sabrina as “a joy,” describing her as someone who loved people deeply and embraced life.
Conclusion
The sentencing brings a measure of legal closure to a case marked by violence, manipulation, and loss. While Horner will spend nearly two decades behind bars, Schnoor’s family and friends continue to mourn a life taken under horrific circumstances.
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