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A University of Kentucky student and cheerleader was arrested after the body of her newborn baby was found dead inside a trash bag in a closet, according to authorities.
Laken Snelling, 21, was taken into custody on Sunday, August 31 after police were dispatched at around 10:30 a.m. four days earlier for an unresponsive baby at a residence on the 400 block of Park Ave., not far from the campus, the Lexington Police Department said in a statement.
Officers at 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.
The infant’s cause of death will be released by the Fayette County Coroner’s Office.
What is Laken Snelling charged with?
Snelling was charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
Who is Laken Snelling?
Snelling is a member of the University of Kentucky’s cheerleading stunt team, and is originally from White Pine, Tennessee, where she attended Jefferson County High School, based on an official team roster posted on the school’s website.
“We can confirm that she has been a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons,” the university said in a statement obtained by The Independent.
Where is Laken Snelling now?
Snelling was being held at the Fayette County Detention Center, but LEX18 reports that after posting a $100,000 bond, she’s now on “home incarceration with no ankle monitor” and is “to live with parents,” citing a court document.
The case is ongoing, and the police department’s Special Victims Center is continuing to investigate.
Anyone with info in this case is asked to call Lexington Police at (859) 258-3600. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers by calling (859) 253-2020 or by visiting www.bluegrasscrimestoppers.com.
