Cheerleader's roommates heard chilling noises before finding dead baby in closet
Laken Snelling allegedly gave birth to a baby boy in the early hours of August 27 and after falling asleep the 21-year-old is said to have wrapped the infant up 'like a burrito' before placing him in her closet
A cheerleader allegedly ordered and ate McDonald's in her car just hours after giving birth to a baby boy in her university campus apartment, with flatmates finding the infant dead in a trash bag in her closet, a court has heard.
Laken Snelling, 21, is facing charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant after police discovered the body of a newborn baby boy in her bedroom closet. Prosecutors claim in newly-filed court documents that the former University of Kentucky cheerleader gave birth at around 4am on August 27.
Her roommates heard loud noises coming from her bedroom at the time, an affidavit obtained by Lex 18 disclosed. Snelling allegedly told police that she was awake for about half an hour following childbirth before she passed out and fell asleep on top of the infant.
When she awoke, the baby boy was “turning blue and purple,” leading her to believe the baby was dead, according to the affidavit. Snelling wrapped the baby up "like a burrito and laid it on the floor next to her because it gave her a little comfort in the moment,” according to WKYT.
READ MORE: Woman, 27, starves to death in Bali hotel room after adopting raw 'fruitarian' dietREAD MORE: Two kids left orphaned after mum suddenly dies on birthday holidayThe young mum then apparently fell asleep again and woke up at 7:30am to her alarm. According to the affidavit, it was at this point Snelling placed the baby in a towel and the placenta in a black trash bag and put it in her closet.
In a conversation with her roommates, Snelling told them the loud noises they heard were simply her passing out and falling. Police documents show she then left the apartment, skipped her 9:30am class and ordered food on the McDonald's app and picked it up. Snelling did go to a student clinic in the aftermath, but did not go inside, according to affidavit.
While she was gone her roommates went into her room and found a 'blood-soaked towel on the floor and a plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth,' prosecutors allege. An unidentified person called 911 and described the baby as 'cold to the touch'. When Snelling returned home, she was detained by police.
After launching an investigation, police seized Snelling's phone and it was allegedly discovered she made a number of internet searches 'including different things pertaining to pregnancy, images of her during labor, photos of her doing things ordinary pregnant woman should not be doing and a concealed or hidden pregnancy'.
During a visit to University of Kentucky Labor and Delivery Unit, Snelling allegedly told staff that she "guessed" the baby was alive and that she heard the baby “make a whimper". Authorities said the baby "appeared to be full-term" upon discovering the dead infant inside the closet.
Snelling entered not guilty pleas to the charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant at a hearing at the start of September. She returned to court on Friday where she waived her right to a preliminary hearing. She is now out on bond and has been ordered to remain on house arrest.