A Kentucky student whose infant child was found dead after being stuffed in a closet was reportedly dating a former college basketball player before her arrest.
Laken Snelling, 21, was taken into custody by the Lexington Police Department on August 31. She has since been charged with Abuse of a Corpse, Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Concealing the Birth of an Infant.
The arrest came four days after officials were dispatched to the cheerleader’s off-campus residence in the 400 block of Park Avenue. It was there that they located an unresponsive infant ‘wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag’, as per an alleged arrest citation.
The police report added that Snelling 'admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside a black trash bag, including the infant’.
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The baby was pronounced dead at the scene, with officers labeling Snelling - who was studying Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at the University of Kentucky - as the child’s mother.
The woman reportedly entered a not guilty plea on September 2 and will appear in court again on September 26.
Before her recent arrest, the student was reportedly dating popular ex-athlete Connor Jordan, according to The New York Post.
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The couple’s relationship was documented via various images and clips uploaded to social media, which included snaps of the pair posing together and embracing, the Post explained.
Jordan previously played basketball at King University, Tusculum University and Lincoln Memorial University, as per iHeart.
It is not known whether he is the father of the infant that was found at the Snellings’ off-campus residence.
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Snelling is listed as a senior at the University of Kentucky and has been a member of the school’s STUNT cheerleading for the last three seasons, Lex18 reported.
Jay Blanton, a spokesperson for the University, has said the accused has withdrawn from school and that she is ‘no longer on the STUNT team as well’.
An autopsy has since deemed the baby’s cause of death inconclusive, the outlet wrote.
Notably, the Fayette County Coroner’s report read that ‘extensive microscopic analyses are essential to determine the cause and manner of death’.
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Gary Ginn, the coroner leading the investigation, continued: "I understand the community’s concern and sensitivity surrounding the death of a child.
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"This death affects many lives in our neighboring state of Tennessee and as well as those in the commonwealth. We are conducting a thorough and methodical death investigation to ensure all facts are carefully considered.”
On Tuesday (September 2), Snelling posted a $100,000 bond in court on Tuesday and is now on ‘home incarceration with no ankle monitor’, as per Lex18.
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She is now set to ‘live with parents’ at their home in Tennessee after being held in custody at the Fayette County Detention Center.
If found guilty of corpse abuse and tampering with physical evidence, Snelling could face up to five years in jail and be ordered to pay a fine of up to $10,000.
Lexington Police’s Special Victims Section is continuing to investigate the alleged crime. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Lexington Police at (859) 258-3600. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers by calling (859) 253-2020 or online, as per an arrest notice.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.
Topics: US News, Crime, Parenting, Sex and Relationships, Social Media
Ella Scott