Attorney General’s Office and Steele County Attorney’s Office secure 2nd degree murder conviction in Steele County

Jury convicts Jason Lee Horner of multiple charges, including 2nd degree murder, following May 29, 2023 killing of Sabrina Schnoor

November 20, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Today, after a jury trial lasting more than two weeks, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office has secured the conviction of Jason Lee Horner on five counts—including 2nd degree felony murder and possession of a firearm or ammunition by an ineligible person—following the May 2023 killing of Sabrina Schnoor in Owatonna, Minnesota.

On May 29, 2023, Horner shot and killed his former girlfriend, Sabrina Schnoor, underneath a highway overpass.  The two met in the Morehouse Park in Owatonna before walking down the railroad tracks near I-35.  While underneath the overpass, Horner fired a single gunshot through Schnoor’s mouth at close range and fled the scene.  Schnoor died from the gunshot wound. 

Attorney General Ellison’s office prosecuted Horner upon a referral from Steele County Attorney Robert Jarrett under Minnesota Statutes section 8.01, which provides, “Upon request of the county attorney, the attorney general shall appear in court in such criminal cases as the attorney general deems proper.” The authority vested in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office is primarily civil.  Aside from referrals submitted under section 8.01 and Medicaid fraud, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office does not have prosecuting authority over most criminal acts. That authority generally rests with city and county attorneys.

“My heart goes out to Sabrina Schnoor’s family, friends, and loved ones,” said Attorney General Ellison. “She was a mother, an artist, and someone who brought tremendous joy and happiness to those around her. And Sabrina was taken from us far too soon. Today, a jury of Jason Horner’s peers held him accountable for Sabrina’s murder. I hope that can bring some measure of solace to Sabrina’s loved ones.”

Attorney General Ellison thanks the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Owatonna Police Department, who assisted in the investigation and successful prosecution of this crime.