A student and cheerleader at the University of Kentucky was arrested after her infant's corpse was discovered in a trash bag inside her closet.
Laken Snelling was taken into custody on Sunday (Aug. 31) on charges of ab*se of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, the Lexington Police Department (LPD) said in a news release.
Highlights
- Laken Snelling was arrested after her infant's body was found inside her closet.
- Snelling admitted to giving birth and concealing the birth by cleaning evidence.
- The woman is currently being held at the Fayette County Detention Center.
On Wednesday, officers were called to a home in the 400 block of Park Avenue for a report of an unresponsive baby in Lexington, Kentucky.
Police said the 21-year-old is the mother of the deceased infant and "admitted to giving birth."
A University of Kentucky student has been arrested after her infant's corpse was found inside her closet
Image credits: Laken Snelling/Facebook
Trigger warning: This article contains references to deceased infants.
She also admitted to “concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant.”
The infant was pronounced deceased at the scene at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time.
Image credits: irissca/stock.adobe.com (Not the actual photo)
An autopsy has already been performed, as per the Lexington Herald-Leader. The Fayette County Coroner’s Office is expected to release the infant's official cause of d*ath.
The arrest citation states that the infant was “located wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag," as per Fox 19 Now.
Laken Snelling was arrested on charges of ab*se of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant
Image credits: Fayette County Detention Center/LEX18
Image credits: Laken Snelling/Facebook
Snelling is listed on the University of Kentucky athletics website as a member of the STUNT team, a competitive cheer program that focuses on the athletic and technical aspects of cheerleading.
She has reportedly competed with the team for three years and is originally from White Pine, Tennessee, where she attended Jefferson County High School.
The 21-year-old wrapped the body in a towel and put it in a trash bag inside her closet
Image credits: laken_snelling
“We can confirm that she has been a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons. All other questions should be directed to the Lexington Police," the University of Kentucky said in a statement to The Independent.
Image credits: Laken Snelling/Facebook
University spokesperson Jay Blanton told WKYT that the 21-year-old is a senior and currently enrolled in classes. She reportedly studies interdisciplinary disability.
Snelling is currently being held at the Fayette County Detention Center.
Laken is a member of the STUNT team, a competitive cheer program
Image credits: UK Athletics
Image credits: Laken Snelling/Facebook
The investigation by the department’s Special Victims Section remains ongoing.
Snelling appears to have deactivated her Instagram account. On TikTok, she had shared a photo of herself with her partner, both placing their hands on her pregnant belly.
Her arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday (September 2) afternoon
Her arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday (September 2) afternoon.
No further details about the case have been released.
Image credits: laken_snelling
The incident has stunned social media users, many of whom speculated about Snelling’s potential sentence and her motives.
“So very heartbreaking for everyone involved,” one person expressed.
“They’ll let her off, they always do,” said someone else.
“You don’t k*ll a baby and stash it. You surrender it to a firehouse or police station or give it up for adoption,” a third commented.
On social media, she posted several photos with her partner in June
Image credits: laken_snelling
“I’m gonna play Devil’s advocate and say that my guess is that people don’t usually k*ll babies and put them in the closet. More than likely the baby passed and she was so scared she didn’t know what to do,” a woman suggested.
“Maybe not. I hate to think a young girl m*rdered a baby and stashed it just because.”
“She better hire that fella the Carlisle girl used,” a separate user said. In 2017, 18-year-old Brooke Skylar Richardson gave birth to a daughter at her home and buried her newborn in the backyard of her parents' house in Carlisle, Ohio. Two months later, she described what had happened to her doctor, who reported the incident to police.
Richardson was acquitted of charges of aggravated m*rder, child endangerment, and involuntary manslaughter. The teen was found guilty of ab*se of a corpse and received three years probation, which was ended early by the court.
Anyone with information is asked to call Lexington Police at (859) 258-3600 or submit an anonymous tip through Bluegrass Crime Stoppers at (859) 253-2020 or online at www.bluegrasscrimestoppers.com.
Social media users reacted to the devastating news
