Laken Snelling, the University of Kentucky student charged last week in the death of an infant who was placed in a trash bag at her home, has pleaded not guilty.
That's according to LEX18, who reported the 21-year-old posted a $100,000 bond after her Sept. 2 hearing and is now on home incarceration at her parents' house in Tennessee.
Snelling was charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 26.
This is an updated story. Kentucky Today's earlier coverage is below.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (KT) – A University of Kentucky student-athlete has been arrested and charged in the death of an infant who was found in a trash bag.
According to LEX18, officers were dispatched to the home of 21-year-old Laken Snelling on Aug. 27 at approximately 10:30 a.m. for "a deceased infant being located in a closet."
An arrest citation details that the infant was found wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Snelling, a member of the UK STUNT team, a competitive cheer program, was interviewed by officers and admitted to giving birth and "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."
An autopsy was performed on Aug. 29, according to the Lexington Herald Leader, and the Fayette County Coroner's office will release the infant's cause of death.
Snelling has been charged with abuse of a corpse, which is a Class D felony, as well as tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. She is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center and is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday.
Laken Snelling. (University of Kentucky photo)
