Cheerleader's Hidden Pregnancy Unfolds in Court After Infant Discovery
More information is coming to light regarding the apprehension of Laken Snelling, a former competitive cheerleader from the University of Kentucky, who faces charges for allegedly concealing her newborn infant in a closet.
Police documents from Lexington, secured by LEX18, indicate that the infant's remains “seemed to be at full term upon discovery.”
The 21-year-old Snelling informed medical personnel that she “believed” the baby was alive at birth, mentioning she heard a “faint cry.”
As per police documentation, Snelling recounted losing consciousness after delivery and collapsing onto the infant. Upon regaining awareness, she observed the baby's skin was “discolored blue and purple.”
A 'Troubling' New Perspective on Cheerleader Laken Snelling's Arrest Comes to Light
Following the execution of a search warrant for Snelling's phone, investigators uncovered search queries “encompassing various pregnancy-related topics, pictures of her in labor, images of her engaging in activities typically not advised for pregnant individuals, and information on hidden or secret pregnancies.”
Certain photographs of Snelling's childbirth had been removed, prompting Lexington Police to speculate that “other materials might also have been deleted in an effort to obscure any proof of the pregnancy, delivery, and newborn.”
Snelling's arrest took place on August 30, facing charges of abusing a corpse, interfering with physical evidence, and withholding information about an infant's birth.
On August 27, officials were alerted by an anonymous caller about an infant, described as “cold to the touch,” discovered in a closet at a Lexington home close to the University of Kentucky campus.
An arrest citation states that the “baby was found wrapped in a towel within a black garbage bag.”
During subsequent questioning by authorities, Snelling “confessed to delivering the baby” and to “hiding the birth by tidying up any evidence, putting all used cleaning supplies into a black trash bag, along with the infant, who was wrapped in a towel.”
The infant's death cause remains undetermined, and “comprehensive microscopic examinations are crucial to ascertain the cause and mode of death,” as per a September 4 report from the Fayette County Coroner's Office acquired by Us.
“I recognize the community's apprehension and emotional response concerning a child's passing,” stated Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn in the report. “We are undertaking a comprehensive and systematic death investigation to guarantee all particulars are meticulously evaluated.”
Snelling entered a plea of not guilty to all accusations during a court appearance on September 2 and was freed on a $100,000 bond, under house arrest with her parents in Tennessee. She returned to a Lexington courtroom on Friday, September 26, where she relinquished her entitlement to a preliminary trial. The matter will now advance to a grand jury.
Snelling received support from “around 10” former peers during her court appearance on Friday.
When she was taken into custody, Snelling was enrolled at the University of Kentucky and participated in the institution's STUNT cheerleading squad.
A university representative informed Us Weekly on September 6 that Snelling is no longer attending the university or part of the STUNT team.
In a September 8 declaration to Us, the Lexington Police Department communicated that the inquiry into the infant's demise continues to be “active.”
