Cheerleader Laken Snelling from the University of Kentucky, whose baby was discovered deceased in a trash bag, leaves school.

University of Kentucky Cheerleader Withdraws After Arrest

Raiken Snelling, a cheerleader at the University of Kentucky, has dropped out of school following her arrest. She faces accusations of concealing a deceased newborn in her closet.

According to spokesperson Jay Blanton, Snelling has withdrawn from the Lexington-area school and is no longer part of the stunt team. This came just three days after a court mandated that she live with her parents until her next court appearance.

The school, which kicked off its new semester on August 25, did not disclose the exact timing of Snelling’s withdrawal.

While she won’t be listed on the stunt team’s 2025 roster, she was a member during 2023 and 2024.

Snelling’s arrest occurred on August 31, when police were called to an off-campus location in Lexington regarding a baby that was unresponsive.

Upon arrival, officers found a baby boy wrapped in a towel and placed inside a black garbage bag in the closet. Tragically, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

No cause of death has been released by medical examiners. Snelling, who had previously indicated a desire for motherhood, has admitted to having given birth.

She has pleaded not guilty to charges that include abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and failing to report the birth of a baby.

Following her release on a $100,000 bond, Snelling has been ordered to stay at her parents’ home in Tennessee until her next court date on September 26.

Reports suggest she confessed to covering up the birth, discarding items connected to it in the same garbage bag as the newborn.

In light of the state’s strict abortion laws, which have rendered most abortions illegal since 2022, this case has drawn significant attention.

Additionally, Snelling has been portrayed by some former classmates as a “visually obsessed serial bully”, with accusations of harassing peers, including an incident where she allegedly attempted to run over fellow students with a vehicle.

She was reportedly dating former college basketball player Connor Jordan, although it remains unclear if he is the father of the baby found in her closet.