Ex-Cheerleader Laken Snelling Under House Arrest and Ankle Monitor Amidst Infant Remains Investigation
New limitations have been imposed on former University of Kentucky competitive cheerleader Laken Snelling, as she continues her house arrest following accusations of concealing her newborn's remains in a closet.
According to documents acquired by LEX18, the 21-year-old Snelling is now required to wear an electronic ankle monitor and must remain under home confinement.
The ex-cheerleader received a directive to reside permanently at her father's residence located in Tennessee.
Previously, since securing her release on a $100,000 bond on September 2, Snelling had been dividing her time between her parents' residences as part of a joint custody arrangement.
An additional report noted Laken Snelling placed an order for McDonald's after allegedly concealing the birth of her baby.
According to People magazine, Snelling is further obligated to reach out to Pretrial Services within a week “to aid in the initiation of electronic monitoring.” The rationale behind the judge's sudden implementation of these updated directives remains undisclosed.
Snelling is presently awaiting a grand jury proceeding concerning the passing of her newborn on August 27.
Her formal arrest occurred on August 30, at which point she was charged with corpse abuse, evidence tampering, and hiding an infant's birth.
Snelling has entered a plea of not guilty to every accusation. During a court appearance on September 26, she renounced her right to a preliminary hearing.
It is alleged that the cheerleader delivered the baby and subsequently concealed its body within a trash bag, placed in a closet at her Lexington, Kentucky residence.
Police were reportedly contacted after an unassociated individual purportedly discovered a “blood-stained towel on the floor and a plastic bag holding evidence of childbirth” within Snelling's bedroom.
Upon her eventual interrogation by officials, Snelling “confessed to giving birth” and to “hiding the birth by clearing all evidence, depositing all used cleaning materials into a black trash bag, which also contained the infant, wrapped in a towel.”
Snelling claimed she lost consciousness atop the baby post-delivery, only to awaken and observe it was “blue and purple.” She asserted the baby was alive at birth, stating she perceived a “whimper.”
Police reports indicate the infant's remains “appeared to have reached full term upon discovery.”
The infant's cause of death was deemed inconclusive, with a report from the Fayette County Coroner's Office, acquired by Us Weekly on September 4, stating that “extensive microscopic analyses are vital to ascertain the cause and nature of death.”
In the report, Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn stated, “I acknowledge the community's worry and emotional response regarding a child's passing. We are undertaking a comprehensive and systematic death inquiry to guarantee all pertinent facts are meticulously evaluated.”
An examination of Snelling's phone revealed she had searched for “various topics related to pregnancy, pictures of herself during childbirth, images of her engaging in activities typically advised against for pregnant women, and information on concealed or clandestine pregnancies.”
It was also reported that Laken Snelling’s roommates heard loud disturbances at 4 a.m. on the day she allegedly gave birth.
Records indicate that attempts were made to delete certain photos from Snelling's phone, prompting police to speculate that “additional items may also have been erased in an effort to conceal any proof of the pregnancy, birth, and newborn.”
The Lexington Police Department confirms that the inquiry into the infant's demise is still active.
When apprehended, Snelling was pursuing a degree in Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at the University of Kentucky and had been a member of the university's STUNT competitive cheerleading squad for three years.
A representative for the University of Kentucky informed Us on September 5 that Snelling “is no longer enrolled as a student at the university and, consequently, is no longer associated with the STUNT team.”
