A University of Kentucky cheerleader posted about motherhood on social media just weeks before she was arrested for allegedly stuffing a lifeless infant inside her closet.
Laken Ashlee Snelling, 21, is currently facing charges for trying to keep her baby’s birth under wraps.
“This breaks my heart,” one netizen commented online.
Laken Snelling posted about motherhood on social media weeks before she was arrested
Highlights
- Laken Snelling said motherhood was part of her "goals" just weeks before she was arrested.
- The 21-year-old is facing charges over allegedly stuffing an infant's lifeless body in a closet.
- Her last few posts also suggested she was in a relationship with a young man.
- “DID HE KNOW???!!” one netizen asked online.
Image credits: Laken Snelling/Facebook
Trigger warning: this article contains graphic details that may be distressing to some.
Laken is currently facing several charges in connection with hiding an infant’s body at an off-campus residence.
Officers were informed about an unresponsive infant at a home on Park Avenue on Wednesday, August 27, at around 10:30 a.m.
Image credits: Fayette County Detention Center/LEX18
In their statement, the Lexington Police Department said they were dispatched for “a deceased infant being located inside of a closet.”
The baby “was located wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag,” officials said.
When questioned by cops, Laken admitted she had given birth to the baby.
The 21-year-old University of Kentucky cheerleader allegedly hid a deceased infant's body inside a closet
Image credits: Laken Snelling/Facebook
The 21-year-old athlete “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 cause of the baby’s passing is yet to be confirmed.
Image credits: laken_snelling
Prior to the grim turn of events, Laken gushed about motherhood being one of her life goals.
Laken listed things like her hair color, favorite color, favorite season, and her goals in her last TikTok post shared on June 25.
Underneath “goals,” the youngster included emojis of a wedding ring, a mother holding a baby, a house and cash.
Being a mother was part of Laken’s “goals,” according to her last TikTok post
Image credits: laken_snelling
Her last few posts also suggested she was in a relationship and featured a young man, whose name and identity were not revealed.
“#couplesphotography” and “#couplesphotoshoot” were the tags she included in a series of pictures with the young man.
Some believed it was a maternity shoot, with one commenting: “Girl this is a maternity shoot! You knew. You can see it!”
Another clip captured the man kissing Laken on the cheek.
The account @ConnorJordan was tagged in the caption, but the profile currently does not exist.
Image credits: Brenda Mitchell Brackett/Facebook
Netizens were surprised to see her “goals” in her last post and flooded the comments section with mixed reactions.
“You must’ve been so scared and terrified,” one said, while another wrote, “I’m sorry you felt like that was your only option girl, the legal system really failed you.”
“Her reposts also let us know she knew she was pregnant,” commented another.
Image credits: Jefferson County Fairest of the Fair/Facebook
“There’s something completely off about this whole situation,” another said.
“The goals are to be a mom but you m******d your chance to be one. Anyone I mean anyone would have taken that baby so you didn’t m****r it,” one wrote.
Many speculated over the man captured next to the 21-year-old in her last few social media posts
Image credits: Laken Snelling/Facebook
Social media users also made speculations about the man she was captured with in her last few clips.
“DID HE KNOW???!!” one asked.
“Yeah where’s that baby daddy at? We just letting him off with zero consequences???” another said.
The cheerleader reposted a clip from another TikToker about marriage being “scary” weeks before her arrest
Image credits: aainsleymariaa
A couple of weeks before her arrest, Laken even reposted a clip from another TikToker about marriage being “scary.”
“Marriage is scary,” read the text on the clip, “what if he doesn’t want to put our daughter in cheer the second she can walk ????”
“Laken Snelling reposting this is crazyyyy,” one netizen commented on the clip.
Image credits: Laken Snelling/Facebook
Laken was charged with “ab*se of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant” and was held at the Fayette County Detention Center.
She posted a $100,000 bond in court on Tuesday, September 2, and entered a not guilty plea, according to court documents.
Laken is now on “home incarceration with no ankle monitor” and is “to live with parents” in their Tennessee home
Image credits: laken_snelling
The document also said she is now on “home incarceration with no ankle monitor” and is “to live with parents” in their Tennessee home.
Her parents’ home is in Tennessee’s Jefferson City, about 200 miles away from where Laken was arrested.
She is expected to appear in court next on September 26.
Image credits: WTVQ
The University of Kentucky confirmed that the arrested cheerleader was a senior and member of the competitive cheer stunt team.
“We can confirm that she has been a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons. All other questions should be directed to the Lexington Police,” the university said.
Laken was reportedly a pageant queen and competed in the Jefferson County Fairest of the Fair in the past.
“Guess her reputation meant more to her than the baby,” one netizen commented online
