Mother charged in infant’s death in Lexington admitted trying to hide birth
A University of Kentucky student-athlete charged in the death of an infant admitted to police she tried to hide the child’s birth, according to charging documents.
Laken Snelling, 21, was arrested Aug. 27 after officers were called to the 400 block of Park Avenue, near downtown Lexington, for an unresponsive infant.
Officers found the child in a trash bag inside a closet at the home. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.
Snelling admitted to officers she had cleaned up after giving birth and put cleaning supplies and the infant in the trash bag.
Snelling was charged with abuse of a corpse, a Class D felony, as well as tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
Snelling is a senior at the University of Kentucky from White Pine, Tennessee, outside Knoxville.
She studies interdisciplinary disability at UK and is a member of the university STUNT Team, according to the school’s website. STUNT is one of UK’s newest varsity teams, a head-to-head sport that focuses on the athletic and technical aspects of cheerleading. It was added as a sport in 2021 and the team began competing in 2022.
UK spokesperson Jay Blanton confirmed Sunday Snelling is a student at UK.
An autopsy was performed Aug. 29. The Fayette County Coroner’s Office will release the child’s cause of death.
Snelling’s arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. She was released on a $100,000 surety bond late Monday night and placed on home incarceration.
The department’s special victims section is continuing its investigation, the release says. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call police at 859-258-3600. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers by calling 859-253-2020 or online.
This story was originally published September 1, 2025 at 1:58 PM.