New Information on Laken Snelling case

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A tragic case involving a former University of Kentucky student has shaken the campus community after court records revealed new details about the death of her newborn baby. According to Lexington Police, 22-year-old Laken Snelling was arrested after her infant was found deceased and hidden inside her closet. Investigators say the child appeared to be full-term and may have been alive at birth. An affidavit shows Snelling admitted to medical staff that the baby made a faint “whimper,” and that she “guessed” he was alive when delivered. Roommates told police they heard loud, unusual noises around 4 a.m. on August 27, the time investigators believe Snelling gave birth. She later told officers she stayed awake for about half an hour before passing out on top of the infant. When she awoke, she said the baby was turning blue and purple. Rather than calling for help, Snelling allegedly wrapped the child in a towel and placed him, along with the placenta, into a black trash bag inside her closet. Around 8:40 a.m., she told her roommates she wasn’t feeling well and planned to visit a doctor. Instead of attending class, she picked up food from McDonald’s before briefly driving to the university clinic but never went inside. She returned home shortly after 10:30 a.m., where she was taken into custody. Suspicious of her concealed pregnancy and the noises overnight, her roommates entered her room and discovered blood-stained towels and a bag with evidence of childbirth. Police later uncovered online searches on Snelling’s accounts related to pregnancy and labor, and images of her engaging in activities “ordinary pregnant women should not be doing.” Detectives also believe information tied to the pregnancy and the baby’s birth may have been deleted. Snelling, who is no longer enrolled at UK, is charged with abuse of a corpse in connection with her infant’s death.