Case against fmr. UK student accused in connection with baby’s death waived to grand jury

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - A former University of Kentucky athlete charged in her baby’s death was in court Friday morning.

Laken Snelling, 21, who was arrested last month after her baby was found in a closet, appeared for a preliminary hearing.

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The hearing lasted just 35 seconds, as Snelling waived her right to a preliminary hearing and allowed the case to go directly to a grand jury.

The case began on August 20, when Lexington Police were called to Park Avenue for an unresponsive infant. The baby boy was pronounced dead at the scene. Court records say the child was found wrapped in a towel, inside a trash bag, in a closet.

Court records obtained by WKYT on Friday revealed new details about the case.

The Fayette County Coroner says more testing is needed to determine the baby’s cause of death and gestational age.

Snelling was arrested four days later and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. She pleaded not guilty to those charges earlier this month.

In court on Friday, Snelling was joined by at least a dozen people who appeared to be family and friends. She remains out of jail on bond, ordered to live with her parents in Tennessee under home incarceration.

At the time of her arrest, a UK spokesperson confirmed Snelling was a senior at the university and a member of the stunt team. She has since withdrawn from the school.

The grand jury will now decide whether to indict her.