There is a fresh development in the case of former University of Kentucky competitive cheerleader Laken Snelling, who was accused of concealing the body of her newborn baby in a trash bag earlier this year.
Prosecutors requested medical records related to the case from the University of Kentucky Medical Center, according to court records obtained by The Courier-Journal.
The subpoena was delivered to the Medical Center earlier this month and returned on Monday, December 22.
Snelling, 21, was arrested on August 30 and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
The cheerleader allegedly gave birth to the baby and then hid its body in a trash bag in the closet of her Lexington, Kentucky, home.
One of Snelling’s roommates called the police after allegedly finding a “blood-soaked towel on the floor and a plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth” in Snelling’s room.
When Snelling was questioned by authorities, she “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.”
A search of Snelling’s phone found internet inquiries for “different things pertaining to pregnancy, images of her during labor, photos of her doing things ordinary pregnant women should not be doing and a concealed or hidden pregnancy.”
Snelling alleged she “passed out” on top of the baby after giving birth, eventually waking up to find the infant’s body “blue and purple.”
The cheerleader asked to be “checked out” by medical professionals after arriving at police headquarters in Lexington, according to an incident report.
Snelling pleaded not guilty to all charges and posted a $100,000 bail on September 2.
During a court appearance on September 26, Snelling waived her right to a preliminary trial and is currently awaiting her grand jury trial.
After her initial plea, Snelling was confined to house arrest and split time between her parents’ homes in Tennessee.
A judge issued restrictions to her house arrest in October, with Snelling ordered to wear an ankle monitor and exclusively live at her father’s home. It is not clear why the judge issued the new guidelines.
The infant’s cause of death was ruled inconclusive and “extensive microscopic analyses are essential to determine the cause and manner of death,” according to a report from the Fayette County Coroner’s Office obtained by Luxury Handbag Shopping on September 4.
“I understand the community’s concern and sensitivity surrounding the death of a child,” Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said in the report. “We are conducting a thorough and methodical death investigation to ensure all facts are carefully considered.”
At the time of her arrest, Snelling was a student at the University of Kentucky and a three-year member of the school’s STUNT cheerleading team.
A spokesperson for the school told Us on September 5 that Snelling “is no longer a student at the university and, as a result, is no longer a member of the STUNT team.”
