University of Kentucky Cheerleader Dropps Out Following Arraignment in Baby’s Death Case

Laken Snelling, a former university cheerleader, is no longer enrolled at the University of Kentucky after her recent arrest regarding the death of her newborn. She has also stepped down from the school’s cheerleading team, the STUNT squad, although she was listed as a member in previous years.

Snelling was taken into custody on August 31 after police found a deceased baby boy wrapped in a towel and a trash bag inside her off-campus Lexington residence. The infant was pronounced dead at the scene, but no cause of death has been disclosed. Snelling admitted to police that she gave birth to the child and subsequently concealed the pregnancy by cleaning up all evidence and discarding the supplies in the same trash bag as the newborn.

She faces charges of abuse of a corpse, evidence tampering, and concealing the birth. Snelling has pleaded not guilty. She was released on a $100,000 bond and is under house arrest at her parents’ home in Tennessee, pending her court appearance on September 26.

Snelling’s history at the university includes her being a member of the cheerleading team in 2023 and 2024, but she does not appear on the 2025 roster. She was also previously in a relationship with college basketball player Connor Jordan, though it remains unclear if he was the father of the baby.

The incident highlights ongoing issues surrounding reproductive rights in Kentucky, where most abortions have been illegal since 2022.