University of Kentucky Cheerleader and Beauty Queen Arrested After Newborn Found Dead in Closet

Laken Snelling was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant

A 21-year-old University of Kentucky cheerleader and beauty queen has been arrested after allegedly giving birth and hiding her newborn’s body in a closet.

Laken Snelling was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.

Snelling is a member of the University of Kentucky 'stunt team,' a competitive cheer program, according to the school's athletics website

Lexington Police officers responded to a home on the 400 block of Park Avenue on Wednesday morning after receiving a call about an unresponsive infant. The baby was pronounced dead at the scene around 10:30 a.m.

According to an arrest citation, the newborn was discovered “wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag.” Snelling admitted to police that she had given birth and concealed the evidence. The citation stated she admitted to “cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel.”

Laken Snelling admitted to officers that she gave birth after being read her rights

As of Monday, the Fayette County Coroner’s Office had not yet determined the child’s cause of death. Snelling is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center while the department’s Special Victims Section continues the investigation.

Kentucky has had a near-total abortion ban in place since 2022, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The law only allows abortion if there is a “substantial risk of death” or to prevent “serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ” of the pregnant person.

According to a social media account, Snelling is from White Pine, Tennessee , and was studying Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at the University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky confirmed that Snelling has been a member of its competitive cheer program, the STUNT team, for the past three seasons. In a statement, the school said, “We can confirm that she has been a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons. All other questions should be directed to the Lexington Police.”

Snelling, originally from White Pine, Tennessee, was studying Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at the university. On social media, she frequently posted about beauty pageants, writing in June, “There is a pageant for EVERYONE!” That same month, she shared a video saying her goals in life were “to be a mother and have a family.”