A KENTUCKY beauty queen and cheerleader has been arrested after allegedly giving birth in secret and hiding her dead newborn inside a closet.
Cops took Laken Snelling, 21, into custody on Saturday and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
Kentucky beauty queen Laken Snelling was arrested after cops found her dead newborn hidden in a closet[/caption]
She admitted giving birth and concealing the infant in a bin bag[/caption]
Snelling, from White Pine, Tennessee, was studying Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at the University of Kentucky[/caption]
Officers in Lexington were called to a home on the 400 block of Park Avenue on Wednesday morning for reports of an unresponsive infant.
The baby was pronounced dead at the scene around 10.30am, local outlet LEX 18 reported.
An arrest citation, seen by the outlet, stated the “infant was located wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag.”
Snelling – a senior at the University of Kentucky and a member of the school’s competitive STUNT cheer team – admitted to officers she had given birth after being read her rights, according to police documents.
She also “admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel,” the citation said.
As of Monday, the child’s cause of death had not yet been determined by the Fayette County Coroner’s Office, The Independent reported.
Snelling remains held at the Fayette County Detention Center as the police department’s Special Victims Section continues to investigate.
The University of Kentucky confirmed her involvement in the athletics program, telling LEX 18: “We can confirm that she has been a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons.
“All other questions should be directed to the Lexington Police.”
On social media, Snelling presented herself as a beauty queen, promoting pageants and sharing her aspirations.
Just weeks before her arrest, she wrote in a June 11 post: “There is a pageant for EVERYONE!”
In another video from the same month, she spoke of her goals in life: to be a mother and have a family.
Snelling, originally from White Pine, Tennessee, was studying Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at the University of Kentucky.
The case comes against the backdrop of Kentucky’s strict abortion laws.
Since 2022, the state has enforced a near-total ban, with no exceptions for rape or incest.
Terminations are only permitted to prevent the “substantial risk of death” or “serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ” for the pregnant person.
Critics say the restrictions have left young women with little access to reproductive healthcare, forcing some into desperate situations.
Anyone with information is asked to call Lexington Police at (859) 258-3600.
You can also submit an anonymous tip through Bluegrass Crime Stoppers at (859) 253-2020 or online at www.bluegrasscrimestoppers.com.
She would present herself online as a beauty queen, promoting pageants and sharing her aspirations[/caption]
