The former University of Kentucky student charged with stashing her newborn baby’s body was not home when the body was discovered last month.
The report from the Lexington Police Department indicated that on August 27, a call came in to 911 regarding an unresponsive infant described as being “cold to the touch.” According to WDKY, 21-year-old Laken Snelling is suspected of having given birth to the baby, discovered wrapped in a towel and placed in a trash bag inside a closet.
At the time the infant’s body was found, Snelling was not present, but she was found nearly an hour later. Lexington police sought the help of the University of Kentucky Police Department to find Snelling, who was a student at the university then.
“Our law enforcement cooperation extends to working with the Lexington Police Department to maintain campus security. Assistance requests may include locating individuals involved in criminal activities or concerning their safety. In this case, UKPD’s involvement did not result in locating or contacting the individual on August 27,” stated Dani Jaffe, the University of Kentucky’s strategic communication associate director, in a statement to WDKY.
Reportedly, once at the police station, Snelling requested a medical evaluation. Allegedly, she confessed to giving birth and tidying up afterwards. The infant was found near cleaning materials.
An initial autopsy didn’t determine the cause of death or whether the infant was born alive. Authorities mentioned further testing is needed to establish the cause of death.
Snelling has entered a not guilty plea to charges of concealing an infant’s birth, tampering with physical evidence, and corpse abuse. She is currently released on a $100,000 bond.
Snelling, who is from Tennessee, was a senior studying interdisciplinary disability at the University of Kentucky. Reports indicated that she is also on the college’s STUNT Team, a competitive sport which incorporates athletic and technical components of cheerleading. The team began competing in 2021, a year after the university adopted the varsity sport.
Reports indicated that Snelling withdrew from the college following her arrest. She is due in court on September 26.
[Feature Photo: Lexington Police]
