University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Ashlee Snelling arrested after police find dead baby in closet

Laken Ashlee Snelling, a 21-year-old cheerleader at the University of Kentucky, was arrested on Sunday, August 31, 2025, after police in Lexington found a newborn baby dead inside a closet.

The baby was discovered wrapped in a towel and placed in a black trash bag. Officers said Snelling admitted to being the mother and confessed that she tried to hide the birth by cleaning up and putting the infant and cleaning supplies inside the same bag.

Laken Ashlee Snelling charged after baby found dead

The Lexington Police Department said officers were called on Wednesday morning, August 27, 2025, to a home near the University of Kentucky campus on Park Avenue. The call reported a deceased infant. When officers arrived, they found the newborn inside a closet and confirmed the child was dead at the scene.

Snelling was later taken into custody. Police charged her with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.Investigators told People that Snelling admitted to officers that she placed the infant in a trash bag after wrapping the child in a towel. She also admitted she tried to hide other items used to clean up. The Fayette County Coroner’s Office is still working to determine the baby’s cause of death.

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Laken Snelling’s status and background

Laken Snelling is listed as a member of Kentucky’s STUNT cheerleading team, a competitive program at the university. She is originally from White Pine, Tennessee, and had been a student at UK for three years. After her arrest, she was booked at the Fayette County Detention Center. Court records show she posted a $100,000 bond and is now under home incarceration without an ankle monitor.University officials have not commented on her arrest. According to The Guardian, Snelling’s first court appearance is expected soon. The case remains under investigation as the coroner works to confirm how the newborn died.