A University of Kentucky cheerleader is facing legal trouble.
Laken Ashlee Snelling was arrested on August 27, according to a release from local Lexington police, in connection with a dead infant found hidden in a closet.
“On Wednesday, August 27, 2025, around 10:30 a.m., officers were dispatched for an unresponsive infant at a residence in the 400 block of Park Avenue,” the statement read. “When officers arrived, they located an infant that was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Snelling, 21, has been accused of hiding her dead infant, who had been wrapped in a towel and placed in a trash bag in her closet, in order to conceal the recent birth, according to NBC News, citing police.
The college senior was charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant, per police, and was booked into Fayette County Detention Center, Lexington, Kentucky.
The statement from police said the department’s Special Victims Section would be continuing the investigation and noted, “The Fayette County Coroner’s Office will release the infant’s cause of death.”
E! News has attempted to locate a lawyer for Snelling for comment and has reached out to local police for comment but has not yet heard back.
The University of Kentucky confirmed, in a statement to local NBC affiliate WLEX, that Snelling has “been a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons” and noted all other questions should be directed to Lexington Police.
The infant, according to an arrest citation obtained by WLEX, was “located wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag.” The citation also noted that Snelling, after being read her Miranda rights, “admitted to giving birth” to the child.
Additionally, per the document obtained by WLEX, Snelling “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 Guardian, citing public records, noted Snelling was scheduled to make a preliminary court appearance on Sept. 2.
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)