A University of Kentucky cheerleader, Laken Snelling, was involved in a disturbing incident when her roommate reported hearing a loud noise coming from their bedroom around the time Snelling gave birth. The roommate later discovered the body of a newborn hidden in the closet after stepping in to check things out, following her trip to McDonald’s.
On August 27th, at around 4 AM, Snelling, who is a 21-year-old student, gave birth to a boy at an off-campus residence in Lexington. Court documents reveal that this was witnessed by her roommate, who heard the commotion. Hours later, Snelling supposedly told her roommate that the noise was due to her collapsing, attributing it to a daily illness.
Afterward, Snelling left the apartment and skipped her 9:30 AM class. Upon returning, her roommate found a “bloody towel” and a plastic bag with indications of a childbirth in the bedroom, according to the affidavit.
The roommate eventually discovered the infant’s body wrapped in a black plastic bag within the closet and called 911, stating that the child felt “cold to touch.”
Snelling, instead of going to a clinic as planned, returned home to find police waiting for her. The situation escalated after she pleaded not guilty to charges including abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the circumstances of the birth.
Initially, Snelling claimed that the baby fell after birth and expressed doubt about whether he was “breathing or alive.” She later stated that when she woke up, the baby had turned “blue and purple.”
She admitted to wrapping the infant like a burrito and placing him next to her before hiding him in the closet. Following that, she attempted to clean up the blood in the shower, according to authorities.
Interestingly, medical personnel indicated that there had been “a little fetal movement” from the newborn, noting that he had even “whimpered” after birth, as recorded in court documents.
Moreover, it’s reported that Snelling took several photos during the incident but deleted them in an effort to conceal the birth. After her arrest, she withdrew from university and is no longer part of the cheerleading team.
