Police in Lexington, Kentucky, say a University of Kentucky cheerleader has been charged after officers discovered the body of a newborn hidden inside a plastic bag at a home near campus.
Authorities identified the mother as 21-year-old Laken Snelling, who now faces charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
The Lexington Police Department said officers responded around 10:30 a.m. Thursday to a residence on Park Avenue, just blocks from the university. When they arrived, they found an infant who was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to an arrest citation obtained by local station WLEX, the baby was “wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag.” Police said Snelling admitted to giving birth to the child and then attempting to cover up what happened.
The report stated she “admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel.” Officers later located the bag inside a closet.
Investigators have not said whether the infant was born alive. The Fayette County coroner’s office is expected to determine the official cause and manner of death. Snelling was taken into custody and booked into the Fayette County Jail before later bonding out.
The University of Kentucky confirmed to WLEX that Snelling had been a member of its competitive cheerleading team for the past three seasons. Her biography on the team’s official website lists her hometown as White Pine, Tennessee, located about 185 miles from Lexington.
The university declined to comment further, referring questions to the police. The shocking case has drawn widespread attention on campus and in the community, both for the tragic circumstances and for Snelling’s high-profile role as a student-athlete.
Authorities have not released additional details on what prompted their initial call to the home or whether anyone else was involved. Police said the investigation is ongoing. For now, Snelling faces multiple felony charges as prosecutors await autopsy results that could determine whether further counts are filed.
The case has underscored concerns about access to resources for young women facing unexpected pregnancies, while leaving many in the Lexington community grappling with the disturbing discovery.