A young woman aged 21 was taken into custody in connection with the death of her infant, having previously posted a troubling message on social media.
Laken Snelling, a senior student at the University of Kentucky, was apprehended on Saturday, September 30. This followed a call to the Lexington Police Department, which responded to an incident at Park Avenue where an infant was found unresponsive.
The infant was declared deceased at the location at approximately 10:30 am, though the exact cause of death remains unknown. Authorities later identified Snelling as the child’s mother.
Hailing from White Pine, Tennessee, Snelling faces charges including abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of a child.
Before her arrest, Snelling, who participated in the University of Kentucky’s competitive cheerleading STUNT team, shared a TikTok post discussing her goals for the year, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The video included several emojis symbolizing an engagement ring, a house, money, and a woman feeding a baby, suggesting her desire to have a child.
According to an arrest citation, the ‘infant was located wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag.’
The citation further stated that Snelling ‘admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel.’
Snelling was pursuing studies in Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at the University of Kentucky.
She was detained at the Fayette County Detention Center in anticipation of a court hearing set for Tuesday, September 2.
Under Kentucky law, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence are classified as Class D felonies. Convictions for these crimes can result in fines up to $10,000 and prison sentences ranging from one to five years.
The Fayette County Coroner’s Office will establish the infant’s cause of death.
It remains uncertain if Snelling experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, childbirth, or an abortion.
Since 2022, Kentucky has enforced a near-total abortion ban, following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.
This legislation allows no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, except to avert ‘serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ’ or a ‘substantial risk of death’.
In a statement to local news station WLEX, the University of Kentucky mentioned: “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.”