A shocking new twist has emerged in the case of Laken Snelling, the 21-year-old University of Kentucky cheerleader accused of hiding her newborn baby’s body in a closet.
As widely reported, Snelling was arrested on August 31, 2025, after her infant’s remains were discovered on August 27.
The Kentucky student had been living in Lexington at the time, and it was a concerned individual who called 911 after finding the baby’s body.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the caller described the baby as “cold to the touch” when discovered, a detail that further suggests the infant had been dead for some time before being found.
Alleged Whimper and Initial Denial of Life
According to The Sun, court records reveal that Snelling allegedly told medical staff at the University of Kentucky Labor and Delivery that her baby had shown “a little bit of fetal movement” at birth, and that he had made a “whimper".
In a heartbreaking statement, she suggested that she “guessed” the baby might have been alive, but later told police she didn’t think he was “breathing or alive".
This discrepancy has raised many questions, as investigators continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death.
The affidavit filed by the Lexington police on September 4 disclosed that the infant appeared to be full-term when he was discovered.
Attempts to Conceal Evidence
Investigators uncovered more disturbing information during their probe, including several online searches on Snelling’s phone related to pregnancy.
Per the court filing, Snelling had searched for “different things pertaining to pregnancy,” including images of herself during labor and photos of her performing activities that “ordinary pregnant women would not be doing.”
The affidavit also mentioned that Snelling had searched for “concealed or hidden pregnancy".
More alarmingly, police allege that the 21-year-old deleted pictures from her phone. The affidavit claims that this was part of a broader attempt to hide the events leading up to the discovery of the infant’s body.
Snelling’s account of the events surrounding the birth is chilling.
According to her statement, she gave birth at around 4AM on August 27. A roommate later recalled hearing “loud noises like something had fallen,” which may have been Snelling’s newborn.
The affidavit further noted that Snelling told police that the baby had fallen to the floor, and she didn’t think he was alive.
She reportedly stated that she was “awake for around 30 minutes after giving birth before falling on top of the baby.” When the former student woke up, she allegedly found the infant “turning blue and purple,” leading her to believe the baby was dead.
According to the affidavit, Snelling then wrapped the baby up “like a burrito” and laid next to him for comfort.
However, by the time her alarm woke her at 7:30AM, she allegedly decided to place her deceased infant in a black trash bag, alongside the placenta, which she had put in a Ziploc bag.
She then left the bag in the closet, where it remained until a roommate discovered it.
Aftermath and Discovery of the Infant
Later that morning, Snelling reportedly texted friends in a group chat, explaining the noises she had made earlier as a result of fainting and telling them she would be seeing a doctor.
However, shortly after, she allegedly ordered McDonald's through the restaurant’s app, acting as though nothing had happened.
At 10:34AM, police arrived at Snelling’s residence after a roommate found the infant’s remains. The officers discovered a “blood-soaked towel on the floor” and a plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth.
Snelling was detained by patrol officers after returning to the property. She was subsequently arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
She appeared in court for a preliminary hearing, where she waived the case to a grand jury. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The cause of the infant’s death remains unclear, with the Fayette County Coroner’s Office yet to release any findings.