Before she was arrested for allegedly hiding her dead baby in her closet, University of Kentucky competitive cheerleader Laken Snelling hoped motherhood was on the horizon.
In a TikTok video posted on June 25, Snelling, 21, used emojis to list out her “goals” for the future.
Snelling posted emojis of a mother holding a baby, a diamond ring, a family of four, a house and money.
The cheerleader posted a separate TikTok video on June 18, showing off a recent “couples photoshoot” with her boyfriend.
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Snelling and the same boyfriend were also seen in a TikTok video she posted in April before the pair attended a Megan Moroney concert.
It is not clear if the man in the videos is still dating Snelling or is connected in any way to the death of her baby.
Snelling was arrested on Saturday, August 30, and charged with Abuse of a Corpse, Tampering with Physical Evidence and Concealing the Birth of an Infant.
Authorities were called to Snelling’s home in Lexington on August 27, responding to a call about an unresponsive infant.
According to an arrest citation, the “infant was located wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag.”
Snelling “admitted to giving birth” when interviewed by authorities on the scene.
The cheerleader 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.”
During a court appearance in Lexington on Tuesday, September 2, Snelling pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Snelling was released on $100,000 and is now living on “home incarceration with no ankle monitor” with her parents in Jefferson City, Tennessee.
The baby’s cause of death was ruled inconclusive and “extensive microscopic analyses are essential to determine the cause and manner of death,” according to an autopsy report from the Fayette County Coroner’s Office obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, 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.”
The Lexington Police Department said the investigation into the baby’s death remains “ongoing.”
Snelling had appeared on the University of Kentucky’s STUNT cheerleading team for the past three seasons.
Her preliminary court date is scheduled for September 26.
