The news recently broke that Laken Snelling, a competitive cheerleader from the University of Kentucky, faces serious charges. The 21-year-old is accused of hiding her deceased infant in a closet. This shocking story comes just months after Snelling shared happy, professional photos with her boyfriend online.
On June 18, Snelling posted a slideshow of images to TikTok. The photos showed her and her partner posing sweetly in a field. They both wore coordinated white outfits, looking very much in love. The couple was seen embracing, holding hands, and gazing into each other’s eyes. Snelling simply captioned the post with three white heart emojis.
She also shared a video in April featuring the same man. This clip showed them at a Megan Moroney concert, with him hugging her from behind and kissing her cheek. Snelling’s caption for that video read, “Ready for you Megan 💗.” It’s important to note that the man in these posts has not been confirmed to be connected to Snelling’s pregnancy or the baby’s death. It’s also unclear if the couple is still together.
Snelling was arrested on Saturday, August 30. She faces charges of abusing a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of a baby. During a court appearance in Lexington, Kentucky, on Tuesday, September 2, Snelling entered a plea of not guilty to all charges. She was released after posting a $100,000 bond. Currently, she is living under home incarceration, without an electronic monitor, at her parents’ home in Jefferson City, Tennessee.
Police officers responded to Snelling’s Lexington home on Wednesday, August 27. They received a call about an unresponsive infant. A report from the Lexington Police Department, obtained by LEX 18 News, detailed the grim discovery. According to an arrest citation, the baby was found “wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag.”
When officers arrived, Snelling admitted to giving birth. She also confessed to “concealing the birth by cleaning up any evidence.” She stated she put “all used cleaning items inside a black trash bag, including the baby, who was wrapped in a towel.” The Fayette County Coroner’s Office is still investigating the cause of the baby’s death.
Snelling had been a part of the University of Kentucky’s STUNT cheerleading team for the past three seasons. Her Facebook page shows she was studying interdisciplinary disability studies at the university. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 26.
Here are the social media posts mentioned:
@laken_snelling ♬ original sound – Bella
@laken_snelling Ready for you Megan 💗 ♬ original sound – Laken Snelling