Former UK student-athlete charged in baby’s death makes court appearance
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Snelling waived her hearing; case heads to grand jury for potential indictment.
- Authorities found deceased infant in trash bag; autopsy seeks death cause.
- Released on bond, Snelling remains under home incarceration with monitoring.
The criminal case involving a former University of Kentucky student-athlete charged in connection with the death of her baby is headed to a grand jury.
Laken Snelling, 21, appeared Friday in Fayette District Court for a preliminary hearing. She and her attorney waived her right to a preliminary hearing, and the case was sent to a grand jury.
Snelling is charged with concealing a birth, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse. The grand jury will decide whether to indict Snelling on those charges.
Officers were dispatched Aug. 27 to a residence in the 400 block of Park Avenue for a report of an unresponsive infant. When officers arrived, they found an infant in a trash bag inside a closet.
The baby, later identified as a boy by Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn, was pronounced dead at the home. Ginn said in a preliminary report that “extensive microscopic analysis” was needed to determine the cause and manner of death.
Snelling admitted to trying to hide the child’s birth and cleaning up after giving birth. Call dispatch records obtained by the Herald-Leader through the Kentucky Open Records Act indicate that some time passed between the baby’s death and when the 911 call was made.
Snelling was booked into the Fayette County Detention Center and released on bond Sept. 1. As part of her release conditions, Snelling must remain on home incarceration with ankle monitoring.
Snelling, originally from White Pine, Tenn., was a senior at UK and a member of the university’s STUNT team, a relatively new varsity sport that focuses on the technical and athletic aspects of cheerleading.
UK spokesman Jay Blanton confirmed Sept. 5 that Snelling was no longer enrolled at the university.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 10:33 AM.
