A UNIVERSITY of Kentucky cheerleader looked melancholy in her mugshot after allegedly hiding her dead newborn baby in a closet.
Laken Snelling, 21, posed makeup-less when she was taken into custody on Sunday and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
She was taken into custody after reports say her newborn baby was found dead inside of a trash bag[/caption]
She is currently a senior at the University of Kentucky[/caption]
The baby was found inside of a closet in a trash bag, according to an arrest citation viewed by LEX18.
A mugshot showed Snelling looking gloomy with her hair straightened as she wore a dark blue t-shirt — a much different look from her social media posts, where she’s usually dressed in extravagant outfits with her hair and makeup done.
Officers went to Snelling’s home on the morning of August 27 and discovered an infant “wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag,” the outlet reported.
After she was read her rights, she “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 viewed by LEX18 said.
The baby was pronounced deceased at the scene, police say.
Officials confirmed that the cheerleader and beauty queen was the mother.
Snelling is a senior at the University of Kentucky and member of the college’s elite STUNT cheerleading team.
The university wrote that she had been a member of the team for the last three seasons.
“All other questions should be directed to the Lexington Police,” the school told LEX18.
The University of Kentucky’s fall semester began just days ago on August 25 – two days before police discovered the baby.
Snelling is originally from White Pine, Tennessee, and was studying Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at the school.
In her last post on TikTok, she used a ring, baby, and family emoji when asked what her goals were.
Snelling is now being held at the Fayette County Detention Center as the coroner’s office has yet to release the infant’s cause of death.
Kentucky is considered to have one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country.
Abortion is almost completely banned — with no exceptions for rape or incest.
They are only allowed when preventing “substantial risk of death” or “serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ” of the pregnant person.
The police department’s Special Victims unit is currently investigating the death.
Information on the incident can be submitted to Lexington Police Department at (859) 258-3600.
Anonymous tips can also be sent online at www.bluegrasscrimestoppers.com.
Emojis implied that Snelling had wanted a family and marriage, according to her last TikTok post where she shared her goals[/caption]
The baby’s cause of death has yet to be released[/caption]
