Laken Ashlee Snelling, a 21-year-old member of the University of Kentucky's competitive cheer stunt squad, has been charged with corpse abuse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. The charges follow the discovery of a deceased baby wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag in a closet at her home in Lexington, Kentucky, on 27 August.
According to a police citation obtained by local news station WLEX, officers responded to a report of a deceased infant at Snelling's residence. After reading her Miranda rights, Snelling allegedly admitted to giving birth and attempting to conceal the birth by cleaning evidence and placing the infant along with cleaning items in a trash bag.
The Fayette County Coroner's Office conducted an autopsy, but results were inconclusive regarding the cause of death, with further tests required. Snelling was arrested on Sunday and released on a $100,000 bond on Tuesday. She pleaded not guilty at a preliminary court appearance and was ordered to live with her parents. Her next hearing is tentatively set for 26 September.
Snelling, originally from White Pine, Tennessee, has been a member of the university's cheer team for three seasons. The more serious charges of corpse abuse and tampering with physical evidence are class D felonies under Kentucky law, carrying potential sentences of one to five years in prison and fines up to $10,000.
It remains unclear whether Snelling gave birth, suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth, or underwent a self-managed abortion. Self-managed abortion is legal in Kentucky and most US states. The case has raised concerns among experts about the criminalisation of pregnancy loss following the US Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022.
