A Kentucky beauty queen and university cheerleader was arrested after police found her deceased newborn hidden in a closet.
A University of Kentucky student and beauty queen has been arrested after police discovered her deceased newborn concealed in a closet.
Laken Snelling, 21, was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, according to Lexington police.
Officers responded to a call on the 400 block of Park Avenue Wednesday morning regarding an unresponsive baby. The infant was pronounced dead at the scene at about 10:30 a.m., LEX 18 reported.
An arrest citation stated the “infant was located wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag.” Authorities said Snelling admitted to giving birth after being read her rights. She “admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel,” the report said.
The Fayette County Coroner’s Office is working to determine the baby’s cause of death. Snelling remains held at the Fayette County Detention Center while the Special Victims Section continues to investigate.
The university confirmed she was a member of its competitive cheer stunt team, noting, “All other questions should be directed to the Lexington Police.”