University of Kentucky athlete arrested after police find dead infant in closet

An athlete at the University of Kentucky was arrested for allegedly hiding a dead infant in her closet to conceal a birth, according to the Lexington Police Department. The baby was found wrapped in a towel and placed inside a trash bag, police said.

Laken Snelling, 21, was arrested Sunday and charged with abusing a corpse, tampering with evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. Court documents indicate Snelling has posted a $100,000 bond and is now on house arrest without an ankle monitor at her parents’ home in Jefferson City, Tennessee.

Snelling appeared in court Tuesday, per NBC News.

Police investigated a residence near Kentucky’s campus last week following a disturbing call, according to arrest documents obtained by LEX18. 

The citation indicates Snelling “admitted to giving birth” during an interview with officers. Snelling reportedly “admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel.”

Snelling is a member of Kentucky’s “STUNT” team, which is part of the university’s athletic program. The Fayette County Coroner’s Office is investigating the infant’s cause of death, per NBC News.

In her most recent TikTok post from June, Snelling used an emoji of a woman holding a baby under a list of “goals” that included marriage and a home.

The University of Kentucky only acknowledged to LEX18 that Snelling was “a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons,” directing all other questions to Lexington Police.