21-year-old Laken Snelling, a student at the University of Kentucky, was arrested after her infant child was discovered ‘wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag.’ The cause of death is yet to be determined, and Snelling has pleaded not guilty. Meanwhile, the former cheerleader’s haunting last social media post before her infant child was discovered deceased might give some clues as to what happened.
Laken Snelling, a 21-year-old senior at the University of Kentucky, was arrested on September 30th after police were called to her apartment for a report of an unresponsive infant.
The infant, Snelling’s newborn, was found in the closet, “wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag,” according to the arrest citation reviewed by People Magazine.
As per the affidavit, reported by WLKY, Snelling gave birth to a boy who fell onto her bedroom floor at about 4am on August 27. The 21-year-old told authorities that she was awake for about half an hour before she passed out, and when she woke up, the baby was “turning blue and purple.”
The affidavit further read that Snelling believed the baby was dead, and she wrapped the infant up “like a burrito and laid it on the floor next to her because it gave her a little comfort in the moment.”
On Tuesday, September 2, she pleaded not guilty to the charges. Meanwhile, she remains under house arrest at her parents’ home in Tennessee. On September 30, Laken Snelling was arrested.
Disturbing social media post before arrest after ‘dead newborn baby was found in closet
As per the Lexington Police Department’s news release, she is charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
Prior to her arrest, Snelling was a member of the University of Kentucky’s competitive cheerleading STUNT team. And just months before she gave birth, a video she made and posted on TikTok has now taken on a whole new meaning.
In the video, the 21-year-old stood in the street wearing a white tank top and pink pants with the Beyoncé and Dolly Parton song, Tyrant playing in the background.
In the video, several emojis representing different categories, such as “birth month,” “eye color,” and “goals,” were visible. Under the “goals” category, Laken Snelling added several emojis of a diamond ring, a family of four, a house, and a mother holding a baby.
Moreover, on July 18, she posted pictures of herself in a long white dress and a man, who is presumed to be her boyfriend. One of the photos showed her holding her stomach and leaning against him, per People.
Abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence are considered Class D felonies in Kentucky. Those convicted can be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to five years.
Rest in peace, little angel.
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