Laken Snelling (Photo Via Google)
Few stories just make you cold. And this one surely does. A University of Kentucky student, a cheerleader, now faces charges after police discovered a baby inside a trash bag at her off-campus apartment.
Laken Snelling, 21, looked like she had her future lined up. Classes, cheerleading, and even a relationship with a former college basketball standout. That picture shattered when officers arrived at her home on Park Avenue on August 31. They found an infant wrapped in a towel inside a black bag, according to an arrest citation. The child did not survive.
Snelling admitted to cleaning up the scene and hiding evidence. She now faces charges of Abuse of a Corpse, Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Concealing the Birth of an Infant.
Snelling Relationship Under Police Radar
Court records show Snelling entered a not guilty plea on September 2. She will return to court on September 26. She walked out on a $100,000 bond and will now live with her parents in Tennessee.
The case has pulled in another name. Reports from the New York Post linked Snelling to ex-athlete Connor Jordan, who played basketball at King University, Tusculum, and Lincoln Memorial. The pair appeared together in social media posts, smiling and close. Authorities have not confirmed whether Jordan was the father of the baby found at Snelling’s apartment.
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University officials confirmed Snelling withdrew from school and no longer belongs as a STUNT cheerleader. Jay Blanton, a spokesperson, said the school has no relation to her following her arrest.
Investigators continue to work through the details. The Fayette County Coroner’s office labeled the baby’s cause of death as inconclusive. Gary Ginn, who leads the investigation, stressed the need for deeper analysis. “I understand the community’s concern and sensitivity surrounding the death of a child,” Ginn said, adding that his team plans to examine every detail.
After the autopsy report for the baby was revealed, Snelling now faces the weight of Kentucky law. If convicted, she could serve up to five years behind bars and pay fines of up to $10,000.
For now, the case sits heavily on both Kentucky and Tennessee communities. Lexington Police urged anyone with information to step forward by calling on the numbers provided by them.