BEAUTY-QUEEN-CHEERLEADER'S CHILLING WORDS, BABY IN TRASH BAG DEAD IN CLOSET

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

True Crime, News

4.2 • 8.1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 September 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A 21-year-old college student and cheerleader from the University of Kentucky is accused of hiding her newborn inside her college apartment closet.

Laken Snelling is arrested after her infant is found dead in a trash bag inside the closet. An autopsy report only deepens the mystery surrounding the infant's death because the results are found to be inconclusive. Snelling posted baby bump pics before her infant was found dead.

Authorities allege Snelling gave birth in secret, wrapped her baby in a towel, placed him in a trash bag, and left him in her closet.

According to an arrest report, Lexington police were called to a home on Park Avenue for an unresponsive infant on Wednesday. Police said they found a baby's body in a closet, wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag.

The UK cheerleader is now charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. Court records show Snelling was released on bond and must remain on house arrest and live with her parents.

Joining Nancy Grace today,

Josh Kolsrud - Criminal Defense Attorney and Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Founder of Kolsrud Law Offices, kolsrudlawoffices.com, Facebook and YouTube @KohlsrudLawOffices
Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker,” featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock, www.drbethanymarshall.com , Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive
Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of NEW Podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue”, Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University)
Chris Byers - Private investigator and owner of Byers Investigative Services, Former Police Chief Johns Creek Georgia, 25 years Police Officer, website: byersinvestigative.com
Germania Rodriguez - Chief US Reporter, DailyMail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an IHeart podcast.
0:04.8	Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.
0:10.4	A beauty queen cheerleader once crowned the fairest of the fair.
0:17.6	Chilling words after her baby, her newborn is found wrapped in a blanket, then a trash bag, dead in her closet.
0:30.9	In the last hours, she walks free.
0:35.5	I'm Nancy Grace.
0:36.6	This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us.
0:39.3	Lakin Snelling, a radiant beauty pageant queen, excelling in her final year of college.
0:44.3	But is something dark hiding behind the pageant smile?
0:48.3	Something dark? There's a dead baby in her closet.
0:52.3	Now if you want to call that dark, that's certainly putting perfume on the pig.
0:57.7	Joining me and All Star Panel to make sense of what we are learning, and I am stunned,
1:04.2	if another person, an adult, was found dead, wrapped in a blanket, body in a trash bag, hidden away.
1:15.7	The alleged perp would not be walking free right now with a bedazzled ankle monitor.
1:22.1	But that is what has just happened.
1:24.1	But let's start at the beginning.
1:25.4	Listen to this.
1:26.4	Good evening.
1:27.4	From Verzni, Jefferson County, Here. just happen. But let's start at the beginning. Listen to this. Good evening.
1:28.3	Representative Jefferson County Mayor, I am Lakin, Stelling.
1:34.3	I know, my!
1:36.3	I know, my!
	...

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