A 21-year-old student who is also a cheerleader has been taken into custody following the discovery of her infant’s body in her closet, as per the authorities.
Laken Snelling faces charges including abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of a child, as stated by the Lexington Police Department (LPD) in an official statement.
Per the police arrest report, officers responded to her home after a report surfaced about a deceased infant being in a closet.
The citation mentioned that the infant was found wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag, with Snelling admitting during questioning that she had given birth and attempted to hide any evidence related to the birth. The baby was declared deceased on-site around 10:30 a.m. local time.
The Fayette County Coroner’s Office is probing the cause of the infant’s demise, according to the police. Snelling, identified as a member of the stunt team on the University of Kentucky athletics website, is currently a senior and attending classes, as confirmed by UK spokesperson Jay Blanton.
Snelling is currently in custody at the Fayette County Detention Center, while the department’s Special Victims Section is actively investigating the case.
In Kentucky, abortion is illegal except in cases where it is essential to save the life of the pregnant woman or prevent severe injury. The Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Roe vs Wade ruling in June 2022, which had legalized abortion, leading to significant changes in abortion access across the nation.
The Supreme Court’s decision marks the culmination of long-standing efforts by anti-abortion activists, with exceptions typically limited to cases of rape, incest, or to protect the patient’s life.
The case of Baby Carrie, a baby discovered in a bin bag nearly 23 years ago in Northern Ireland, remains unsolved, with authorities expressing their unwavering commitment to finding justice. Baby Carrie is believed to have been initially buried in a garden or flowerbed before being moved to a bin bag shortly after birth.
Former PSNI detective chief superintendent Roy McComb, who headed the initial investigation into Baby Carrie’s murder, named the infant after the location where she was found – Carryduff. He has consistently appealed for Baby Carrie’s mother to come forward and assist in the investigation.
