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New information has surfaced in the shocking case involving a now-former University of Kentucky student accused of hiding the body of her newborn son in a closet at her Lexington residence.
Laken Snelling, 21, wasn’t home when an individual found the baby “cold to the touch,” according to incident reports obtained by Fox 56.
On Aug. 27, at 10:34 a.m., a 911 caller whose name and number were redacted from the report, contacted the Lexington Police Department to report the grim discovery.
“Complainant just found a dead baby in a closet,” the dispatcher said, according to the incident report. “It is cold to the touch.”
The scene where Laken Snelling’s baby’s body was found
Officers dispatched to the scene found the infant “wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag,” according to a police citation obtained by WLWT. Snelling is the birth mother of the child, according to the Lexington Police Department.
Snelling was found by officers about five minutes away from her house after first responders arrived at the crime scene, People reported.
She was taken to police headquarters, where she asked to be “checked out,” the incident report states, and she received emergency medical attention shortly after that, according to Fox 56.
The citation adds that Snelling was arrested at 4:58 p.m. on Aug. 30, and that she was booked into the Fayette County Detention Center on Aug. 31.
What is Laken Snelling charged with?
Snelling has been charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, according to a Lexington Police Department release.
What Laken Snelling’s infant’s autopsy revealed
The Fayette County Coroner’s office stated in a report that a “preliminary autopsy has been completed; the findings are inconclusive.”
To determine the cause and manner of death of the baby, the report noted, “extensive microscopic analysis are essential.”
The report added that the infant was male and that the date of death was August 27.
Where is Laken Snelling now?
After pleading not guilty and posting a $100,000 bond, Snelling is now on “home incarceration with no ankle monitor” and is “to live with her parents,” LEX18 reported, based on a court citation.
After her arrest, Snelling has since withdrawn from the University of Kentucky, where she was a student and a member of the competitive STUNT sport team.