Jason Lee Horner sentenced to 18 years for 2nd-degree murder 

Horner receives 216-month total sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm and 2nd-degree murder after jury trial following killing of ex-girlfriend in Owatonna

December 22, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Today, a Steele County court sentenced Jason Lee Horner to 18 years (216 months) in prison for his role in the May 2023 murder of Sabrina Schnoor in Owatonna. In November 2025, a Steele County jury convicted Horner of 2nd degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.

On May 29, 2023, Horner shot and killed his former girlfriend, Sabrina Schnoor, underneath a highway overpass. Horner and Schnoor met near 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. Horner was prohibited from possessing a firearm at the time of the murder.

Attorney General Ellison’s office prosecuted Horner upon a referral from former Steele County Attorney Julia Forbes 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.

“Jason Horner’s crimes are shocking and appalling, and my office has been working tirelessly to ensure justice is served here,” said Attorney General Ellison. “We secured Horner’s conviction alongside our partners in law enforcement, and I am glad he has now been sentenced and will serve time for the pain and suffering he caused. I continue to keep Sabrina’s family and friends in my prayers.”

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Owatonna Police Department investigated this crime.