Warning: this article discusses the death of a child which some readers may find distressing.
The investigation into the death of a baby discovered in a trash bag continues after cheerleader Laken Snelling was released on bond earlier in the month.
Laken Snelling, a University of Kentucky cheerleader, was taken into custody on August 30 following reports of an ‘unresponsive infant’.
Upon arrival, the police made a grim discovery: a newborn wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag located in a closet. Tragically, the baby was found deceased.
It has now been confirmed that Snelling, a student of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies, is the child’s mother.
The 21-year-old from White Pine, Tennessee, faces charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
Snelling entered a plea of not guilty and was released on a $100,000 bond set by a Fayette District Court judge.
As the investigation into the circumstances continues, here is what has been uncovered so far.
Snelling, originating from White Pine, Tennessee, was previously part of the University of Kentucky STUNT cheerleading team but is no longer enrolled at the college.
Before her arrest, Connor Jordan, a basketball player believed to have been Snelling’s boyfriend, appeared on her social media, leading many to speculate about their relationship status.
Although it remains uncertain if Jordan is the child’s father, another student, Izaiah Hall, who reportedly dated Snelling before her relationship with Jordan, is undergoing a DNA test.
His father, Justin Smith, informed DailyMail.com: “There’s a DNA test, it’s already underway. Izaiah’s done this to find out if he was the father.
“I’m not sure when we’ll get the results. We’ve been told it could be a couple of weeks.”
Snelling has not made any public comments regarding the situation.
Nonetheless, according to an arrest citation obtained by LEX 18 News, Snelling confessed to giving birth to the baby and ‘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’.
Prior to her arrest, Snelling shared a TikTok post outlining her ambitions for the year, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The video featured various emojis, including an engagement ring, a house, money, and an image of a woman bottle-feeding a baby.
The Fayette County Coroner’s Office initially deemed the autopsy inconclusive, indicating further ‘extensive microcosmic analyses’ will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the infant’s death.
The circumstances of whether Snelling experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or live birth remain unclear.
In Kentucky, abortion is illegal except when necessary to save a woman’s life or to prevent a disabling injury.