New chilling details about the arrest of former University of Kentucky competitive cheerleader Laken Snelling have emerged.
Snelling, 21, told medical staff she guessed her baby was still alive when she gave birth and allegedly hid the infant’s body in a closet last month, according to court records obtained by WKYT-TV on Friday, September 26.
After giving birth, the cheerleader said she passed out and fell on top of the baby.
When she woke up, Snelling found the infant “blue and purple,” according to the records.
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At that time, Snelling believed the baby was dead. She wrapped up the infant and laid next to the body on the floor, which is described as giving her comfort.
Snelling’s baby was later found “wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag,” according to an arrest citation.
After allegedly concealing the baby in the closet, the records state that Snelling made her way to the University of Kentucky’s campus but did not go to class.
Snelling also found a University of Kentucky student clinic but did not go inside.
The cheerleader was eventually detained and taken to Lexington police headquarters before being transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
Snelling told hospital staff that the baby displayed some fetal movement, including a “whimper,” after it was born.
A third party was responsible for calling authorities on August 27, reporting that an infant was found “cold to the touch” in the closet of a Lexington home.
Snelling was arrested on August 30 and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
When she was questioned by police, Snelling “admitted to giving birth” and 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.”
Snelling pleaded not guilty to all charges during a September 2 court appearance. She was released on $100,000 bond and has been living on house arrest with her parents in Tennessee.
The former athlete was back in a Lexington courtroom on Friday, where she waived her right to a preliminary trial. The case will now proceed to a grand jury.
The infant’s cause of death was ruled inconclusive and “extensive microscopic analyses are essential to determine the cause and manner of death,” according to a report from the Fayette County Coroner’s Office obtained by Us Weekly on September 4.
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“I understand the community’s concern and sensitivity surrounding the death of a child,” Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said in the report. “We are conducting a thorough and methodical death investigation to ensure all facts are carefully considered.”
In a statement to Us on September 8, the Lexington Police Department said the investigation into the infant’s death remains “ongoing.”
Snelling is a former student at the University of Kentucky and had been a performer on the school’s STUNT cheerleading team for the past three seasons at the time of her arrest.
A university spokesperson confirmed to Us on September 6 that Snelling is no longer enrolled at the school or on the STUNT team.
