A member of the University of Kentucky’s cheerleading stunt team has been accused of multiple crimes after police say they found her newborn child dead in a closet.
Laken Snelling, a junior from White Pine, Tennessee, was charged Sunday with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant, Lexington police said in a release.
According to the police statement, officers arrived last Wednesday at Snelling’s address, where an unresponsive infant had been reported. The baby was pronounced dead at the scene.
The coroner will determine the cause of death, cops added.
The arrest citation noted the “infant was located wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag,” in a closet, NBC affiliate LEX18 reported.
Cops said Snelling, 21, admitted to giving birth and attempting to conceal the fact, according to the station.
Snelling is listed on the 2025 roster for the stunt team.
“We can confirm that she has been a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons,” the school said in a statement before referring other questions to the police.
Lexington police did not immediately provide additional details to HuffPost.
