University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling appeared in court this week after being charged in connection with the death of her newborn baby, whose body was discovered wrapped in a towel and hidden in a trash bag inside her off-campus residence, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Snelling, 21, was arrested on August 31 following a report of an unresponsive infant at the Lexington home. She has been charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. Snelling has pleaded not guilty.
🚨 UPDATE!!! Laken Snelling posted a $100,000 bond and is now on “home incarceration with no ankle monitor.” The court document, obtained by LEX18, states she is to “live with parents.”
She was charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the… pic.twitter.com/WKplupmZyU [2]
— Abby Blabby (@AbbyLynn0715) September 2, 2025 [3]
The case has drawn national attention after details emerged about Snelling’s personal life. In the months before her arrest, she had been dating Conner Jordan, a former college basketball player at King University and Tusculum University in Tennessee.
Photos and videos posted on social media showed the couple together, including clips where Jordan was seen holding hands with Snelling, dancing with her, and kissing her cheek.
NEW: Kentucky beauty queen arrested for hiding dead newborn in a closet after giving birth
Laken Snelling, 21, was charged with abuse of a c*rpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant
The arrest citation said the “infant was located wrapped in… pic.twitter.com/6Bsa7fy4bd [4]
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) September 1, 2025 [5]
It has not been determined whether Jordan is the father of the infant. Following Snelling’s arrest, Jordan appeared to delete his social media accounts.
Court documents show that authorities conducted an autopsy, though the Fayette County Coroner’s Office reported the baby’s cause of death as inconclusive.
JUST IN: The UK student who was arrested after allegedly wrapping her deceased baby in a towel inside a trash bag in a closet pleads not guilty, released on $100k bond.
The UK cheer team member has been ordered “to live with parents” ahead of her Sep. 26 court date.
Snelling… pic.twitter.com/P7qZhm3hON [6]
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 2, 2025 [7]
“I understand the community’s concern and sensitivity surrounding the death of a child,” Coroner Gary Ginn said. “We are conducting a thorough and methodical death investigation to ensure all facts are carefully considered.”
Just weeks before her arrest, Snelling had posted a TikTok video listing her personal goals. Among them were emojis representing marriage, a house, financial success, and motherhood.
Update: Laken Snelling
*Laken gave birth to a baby boy.
*The cause of Laken’s baby’s death is Inconclusive per the Medical Examiner.
This will make it very difficult for a murder manslaughter prosecution.
Now we know why this was not charged previously.#lakensnelling [8]… pic.twitter.com/e8hPXFcSwb [9]
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) September 3, 2025 [10]
The charges against Snelling stem from what police allege was her attempt to conceal the baby’s birth and hide the body. Investigators say the infant was found after officers responded to the residence, where they recovered the child’s remains.
Snelling’s first court appearance took place Wednesday, where prosecutors outlined the charges. The case remains under active investigation, and further details on the baby’s cause of death are expected as authorities continue gathering evidence.
The University of Kentucky has not commented publicly on the matter, and it remains unclear whether Snelling remains enrolled at the school following her arrest.