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“What If He Doesn’t Put Our Daughter In ‘Cheer’?”: Posts Unearthed Of 21YO Who Hid Newborn’s Body
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.
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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.
Laken Snelling posted about motherhood on social media weeks before she was arrested
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
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What do you think ?
Snow_White 6 months ago
America, you have treated women with contempt, no respect, no proper development or education. Your country is turning into real life Handmaid's Tale. Yet, most of you are shocked when something like this happens?
Schnitzel 6 months ago
Not enough info for me to pass judgment. I CHOOSE to believe the baby was stillborn and she made a stupid decision.
FreeTheUnicorn 6 months ago
She didn't call for medical help when she went into labor. She didn't call for medical help when the baby was born/still born. There's no indication she was getting prenatal care. Kentucky has safe haven laws until a child is 30 days old. She could have left the baby on a bench and called 911 or gone into a fire station or hospital. Even if she didn't murder the baby. She was grossly negligent.
Load More Replies...
Jayne Turner 6 months ago
Until it's been proved that the child was stillborn or not, people need not to speculate. Everyone gets emotional because the deceased is a baby, but the bigger picture in USA is, women have lost many abortion rights, adoption is a bear pit, many children who are adopted are a****d. When you fight to get abortion as a right in every state, maybe then you can judge her. And yes, maybe the child was killed. In which case, I'm sure she will go to jail. The fact that the law didn't rush to jail her seems to indicate there's some doubt.
Megan Romero-Herman 6 months ago
No we don’t have to chill! She still hid it and put the baby in a trash bag. It’s mind boggling how so many folks defend these women who do this.. not ok
Load More Replies... Snow_White 6 months ago
America, you have treated women with contempt, no respect, no proper development or education. Your country is turning into real life Handmaid's Tale. Yet, most of you are shocked when something like this happens?
Schnitzel 6 months ago
Not enough info for me to pass judgment. I CHOOSE to believe the baby was stillborn and she made a stupid decision.
FreeTheUnicorn 6 months ago
She didn't call for medical help when she went into labor. She didn't call for medical help when the baby was born/still born. There's no indication she was getting prenatal care. Kentucky has safe haven laws until a child is 30 days old. She could have left the baby on a bench and called 911 or gone into a fire station or hospital. Even if she didn't murder the baby. She was grossly negligent.
Load More Replies... Jayne Turner 6 months ago
Until it's been proved that the child was stillborn or not, people need not to speculate. Everyone gets emotional because the deceased is a baby, but the bigger picture in USA is, women have lost many abortion rights, adoption is a bear pit, many children who are adopted are a****d. When you fight to get abortion as a right in every state, maybe then you can judge her. And yes, maybe the child was killed. In which case, I'm sure she will go to jail. The fact that the law didn't rush to jail her seems to indicate there's some doubt.
Megan Romero-Herman 6 months ago
No we don’t have to chill! She still hid it and put the baby in a trash bag. It’s mind boggling how so many folks defend these women who do this.. not ok
Load More Replies...
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