LEXINGTON, Ky. (WDKY) — A student at the University of Kentucky has been arrested after a newborn baby was found dead in a closet, authorities said.
The Lexington Police Department announced Sunday that around 10:30 a.m. local time on Aug. 27, officers had been dispatched to the area for reports of an unresponsive infant found inside a closet.
Laken Snelling, 21, who authorities said was the child’s mother, was arrested on Sunday and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
According to court documents, Snelling allegedly admitted to giving birth and cleaning up any indication that she had.
Investigators said she then wrapped the infant in a towel and placed it in a black trash bag, along with cleaning items. The trash bag was found inside Snelling’s closet at her home, according to court documents. The Fayette County Coroner’s Office had not yet verified the cause of the infant’s death as of Tuesday morning.
Kentucky enacted a near-total abortion ban after a so-called trigger law took effect in 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Snelling was lodged at the Fayette County Detention Center without bond.
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According to the University of Kentucky Athletics website, Snelling is a senior at the school and a member of the university’s STUNT team.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.