The former University of Kentucky student-athlete accused of concealing her deceased newborn in a closet reportedly heard the baby “whimper” before placing him in the closet, as indicated by new court records.
Laken Snelling, 21, was arrested by officers from the Lexington Police Department on August 31 after they were alerted to an unresponsive infant. Officials confirmed that the infant was “pronounced deceased at the scene,” according to police reports.
Snelling informed personnel at the University of Kentucky hospital that she heard the newborn “whimper” when he was born and “assumed” he was alive, as noted in an affidavit cited by FOX56. The court document also described how Snelling’s baby exhibited “slight fetal movement.”
Police reportedly found the baby inside a trash bag located in a closet and was cold to the touch, the document revealed.
University of Kentucky student Laken Snelling was arrested on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. (Getty Images; UK Athletics)
She believed the baby was dead and “wrapped him like a burrito” and laid next to him, saying it “gave her comfort,” according to officials.
Pedestrians walk along Rose Street on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, Ky., on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. (Getty Images)
A subsequent search of Snelling’s phone revealed that she had deleted labor photos and evidence of the pregnancy, police said.
Snelling was charged with tampering with physical evidence, concealing the birth of an infant and abuse of a corpse. She has pleaded not guilty.
Fox News Digital reached out to Snelling’s lawyer for comment.
