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 Lexington Police Department’s report stated that someone called 911 on August 27 about an unresponsive baby that was “cold to the touch.” Laken Snelling, 21, is believed to have given birth to the baby, which was found in the closet, wrapped in a towel, and placed in a trash bag, according to WDKY.
Snelling was apparently not home when the baby’s body was discovered, though she was located almost an hour later. Lexington police requested assistance from the University of Kentucky Police Department in their search for Snelling, who was a student at the university at that time.
“The University of Kentucky Police Department frequently works with the Lexington Police Department to ensure the safety of our campus community. That can include requests for assistance in locating an individual on campus in connection with a crime or concerns for the individual’s safety. In this instance, UKPD, while asked to assist, did not locate or make contact with this individual on August 27,” Dani Jaffe, UK’s strategic communication associate director, said in a statement to WDKY.
Snelling reportedly asked to be “checked out” once at police headquarters. She allegedly admitted to giving birth and then cleaning up the scene. The baby was reportedly found alongside cleaning supplies.
A preliminary autopsy could not ascertain how the baby died. It is also unclear whether the baby was born alive. Officials said additional testing is required to confirm a cause of death.
Snelling has pleaded not guilty to concealing the birth of an infant, tampering with physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse. She is currently free on $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.
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[Feature Photo: Lexington Police]
