A University of Kentucky cheerleader, Laken Snelling, has been arrested following the grim discovery of her newborn wrapped in a towel and concealed within a trash bag in a closet at a Lexington residence. The 21-year-old beauty queen from White Pine, Tennessee, now faces charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
The disturbing incident came to light last Wednesday morning when the Lexington Police responded to a distress call from a home on Park Avenue, leading to the unfortunate pronouncement of the infant's death around 10:30 a.m. upon their arrival. The University of Kentucky confirmed Snelling's connection to its athletics program, stating, "We can confirm that she has been a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons. All other questions should be directed to the Lexington Police."
The STUNT team, an emerging collegiate sport focusing on technical routines and competitions, had Snelling's involvement as she pursued her academic degree in Interdisciplinary Disability Studies. Her social media profiles, which highlighted her beauty pageant participation, ironically featured aspirations of motherhood and family life in a video posted in June.
An arrest citation provided harrowing details of the infant concealed and the subsequent cleaning efforts to hide the birth. The Fayette County Coroner's Office has yet to ascertain the cause of death, while the Lexington Police Department’s Special Victims Section continues its investigation.
Snelling's case has garnered particular attention due to her university affiliation and Kentucky's stringent abortion laws, which, since 2022, have almost entirely banned the procedure except in life-threatening situations for the mother, without exceptions for rape or incest. These laws have withstood despite ongoing legal challenges, further spotlighting the state's position in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade.
Currently, Snelling is detained at the Fayette County Detention Center, with the community and the nation watching as the investigation unfolds and debates surrounding pregnancy laws and women's rights intensify.
