•Laken Snelling
A 21-year-old University of Kentucky student and cheerleader, Laken Snelling, was arrested on Sunday, August 31, 2025, after allegedly hiding her deceased infant in a closet at her Lexington residence.
Police said officers had been “dispatched for an unresponsive infant at a residence in the 400 block of Park Avenue” earlier last week, reports Fox News.
“When officers arrived, they located an infant that was pronounced deceased at the scene,” the Lexington Police Department said.
“The Fayette County Coroner’s Office will release the infant’s cause of death.”
Authorities identified Snelling as the baby’s mother and charged her with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
A police report cited by WLEX stated that the newborn was “located wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag” in a closet.
During questioning, Snelling allegedly “admitted to giving birth.”
The University of Kentucky confirmed that Snelling is a senior and a member of the STUNT team, a competitive cheerleading sport that emphasises both technical skill and athleticism.
Police investigations into the circumstances of the infant’s death are ongoing.
