New details are emerging in the case of former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling, whose newborn was found deceased in her off-campus apartment.
On Aug. 31, four days after giving birth, Snelling, 21, was arrested after someone discovered the baby in her closet and called 911. At the time, Snelling, then a senior, was charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. She has pleaded not guilty.
According to the affidavit, at around 4 a.m. on Aug. 27, Snelling allegedly gave birth to a boy who fell onto the floor of her bedroom, WLKY reports. Snelling told authorities she remained awake for roughly 30 minutes before losing consciousness.
When she woke up, she noticed the baby was “turning blue and purple,” leading her to believe he was deceased, the affidavit says. She then wrapped him “like a burrito and laid it on the floor next to her because it gave her a little comfort in the moment.”
Snelling reportedly fell asleep again and awoke at 7:30 a.m. when her alarm went off, LEX 18 reports. She placed the baby in a towel, along with the placenta, inside a black trash bag and stored it in her closet.
Roommates told authorities they had heard a loud noise around 4 a.m. Snelling later explained to them that she had passed out and fallen, causing the sound, according to the affidavit.
Afterward, she allegedly left her apartment, skipped her 9:30 a.m. class, sat in her car, and picked up food from McDonald’s. She also went to the student clinic but did not enter, the affidavit notes.
While she was gone, her roommates entered her room and discovered a “blood-soaked towel on the floor and a plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth,” LEX 18 reports. An incident report obtained by Fox 56 indicated the baby was “cold to the touch.”
Snelling returned to her apartment around 10:30 a.m., where police were waiting. She was taken to the police department and later to a local hospital for medical evaluation, according to an arrest citation reviewed by PEOPLE.
At the hospital, she allegedly told medical staff that she thought the baby might have been alive at one point, claiming she heard a “whimper,” LEX 18 reports.
On Sept. 2, Snelling appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the charges. She returned to court on Sept. 26, waiving her right to a preliminary hearing, allowing a grand jury to determine whether to indict her.
