Warning: This article contains discussion of child death which some readers may find distressing
Records from Lexington Police in Kentucky have revealed new details in the case of a university student who has been accused of hiding her newborn baby inside a closet, where they were found dead.
Former University of Kentucky student Laken Snelling, 21, was arrested by Lexington Police Department officers on August 31 after the officers received a report of an unresponsive infant on August 27.
According to a press release from the department, officers 'located an infant that was pronounced deceased at the scene' when they arrived at the residence on Park Avenue.
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One month on, a filed affidavit reported on by Lex 18 has revealed additional details about the circumstances surrounding the infant's death, including that the baby 'appeared to be full term when discovered'.
Snelling, who has since withdrawn from the University of Kentucky, is believed to have given birth to the baby at 4am on August 27.
She allegedly told police that she fell asleep on top of the baby, and awoke to see 'the baby turning blue and purple'. She said she then wrapped the baby in a towel, before allegedly placing him and the placenta in a black trash bag in her closet.
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Snelling's roommates entered her room after hearing noises overnight, prompting them to text each other, the affidavit claims. They are said to have found a 'blood-soaked towel on the floor and a plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth'.
As part of the investigation, the police report details a search warrant for Snelling's social media accounts, which allegedly found searches 'including different things pertaining to pregnancy'.
The accounts also reportedly revealed 'images of her during labor, photos of her doing things ordinary pregnant women should not be doing, and a concealed or hidden pregnancy'.
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Police believe that other information relating to pregnancy and 'to the birth of the full term baby' may have been deleted from the accounts, Lex 18 reports.
After putting the baby in the closet, Snelling allegedly told police she left her apartment, ordered and collected food via the McDonald's app, and went to the student clinic. However, she did not go inside.
It was during this period that her roommates found the evidence of childbirth in her room.
Snelling has been charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.
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If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.
Topics: Crime, US News, Social Media
Emily Brown