A heartbreaking mystery just got a bit more tangled for former University of Kentucky competitive cheerleader Laken Snelling. Authorities found her baby tragically deceased in a trash bag inside her closet last week. However, the autopsy results have come back inconclusive, leaving many questions unanswered.
The Fayette County Coroner’s Office released a report, obtained by a prominent news channel, stating that “thorough microscopic analyses are essential to determine the cause and manner of death.” This means that while doctors have examined the baby, they couldn’t see anything obvious that explained what happened.
To help make sense of this, Dr. Marcello DiStasio, a pathology professor at Yale School of Medicine, shared his expertise with another news outlet. He isn’t involved in this particular investigation. Dr. DiStasio explained that “inconclusive” results are “absolutely routine” in cases like this. He believes the baby’s body likely showed no visible signs of injury. “It’s more probable that they didn’t see anything,” he said, “and they suspect a cause that isn’t visible to the naked eye.”
Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn shared his thoughts on the sensitive situation. He understands the community’s concern about a child’s death. Ginn added that this tragedy touches many lives in both Kentucky and the neighboring state of Tennessee. He promised a “thorough and methodical investigation” to ensure all facts are carefully considered. The Lexington Police Department also confirmed that their investigation into the baby’s death is still ongoing.
Snelling, who is 21 years old, was arrested on Saturday, August 30. She faces charges for abusing a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. A spokesperson for the University of Kentucky confirmed that Snelling is no longer a student or a member of the STUNT team. This information was reported on Friday, September 5.
The initial call to Snelling’s home in Lexington happened on August 27. Authorities responded to a report of an unresponsive infant. An arrest citation stated that the “infant was located wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag.” During an interview at the scene, Snelling admitted to police that she had given birth. She also confessed to “concealing the birth by cleaning up any evidence.” This included placing all cleaning items, plus the baby wrapped in a towel, into a black trash bag.
Snelling has since been released after posting a $100,000 bond. She is now living under “house arrest without an electronic monitor” with her parents in Jefferson City, Tennessee. Her preliminary court hearing is set for September 26.