A senior cheerleader at the University of Kentucky has been arrested following a search of her home. Authorities were called to the residence in response to “an unresponsive infant.”
When they arrived, Lexington police found “an infant that was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
The police department believes the cheerleader is the infant’s mother, and she has been charged with multiple offenses after her arrest.
Laken Snelling has been charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant, according to the Lexington Police Department.
What Did Authorities Find In The Residence?
Snelling was arrested on August 27, and authorities say she admitted to giving birth after being taken into custody. The arrest citation notes that the infant was “wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag.”
The citation adds that Snelling admitted to attempting to conceal the birth, placing the cleaning products she used in the trash bag.
Lexington Police says that the department’s Special Victims Section will continue to investigate the matter, and that the infant’s cause of death is still unclear.
According to local NBC affiliate WLEX, Snelling has posted a $100,000 bond and is now under “home incarceration with no ankle monitor.” Records show that she was previously being held at the Fayette County Detention Center.
What is STUNT Cheerleading?
Snelling is a member of the Kentucky STUNT team, which specializes in head-to-head cheer competition. The sport removes the crowd-focused aspects of cheerleading, adding a focus to the acrobatics, gymnastics, technical ability and precision associated with competition.
Teams perform identical routines with pyramids, tumbling, flips, spins tosses and more. At the end of a round, each team is assessed and the team with the higher score wins a point. The sport is contested at the high school, collegiate and club level.
Kentucky’s STUNT team was extremely successful in its most recent season, posting a 29-3 record against other universities. The Kentucky Wildcats STUNT team went 10-0 at home and 6-0 on the road, participating at neutral sites for the remainder of their schedule.
Six members of the team were named as All-Americans by a national panel, and several team members were named to the SEC’s all-conference academic team.
