CONTENT WARNING: This article contains graphic descriptions of pregnancy, childbirth and infant death. Reader discretion is advised. 

Records obtained by the Kentucky Kernel today revealed that Laken Snelling told medical staff at the University of Kentucky Labor and Delivery that her baby displayed “a little bit of fetal movement” at birth, he made a “whimper” and she “guessed” the baby was alive.

A signed affidavit by the Lexington police, filed on Sept. 4, states the newborn appeared to be full term when discovered, and records in her case file refer to him as such. 

Affidavits attached to search requests, filed on Sept. 4 and Sept. 8, also show that police conducted a search warrant of Snelling’s phone and requested access to her Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and shared iCloud account with her mother. 

The search of her phone resulted in “locating several searches, including different things pertaining to pregnancy, images of her during labor, photos of her doing things ordinary pregnant women would not be doing, and a concealed or hidden pregnancy,” the records said.

The investigation records state that the photos taken while she was in labor were deleted “in an attempt to hide the birth,” leading police to believe other items could have also been deleted in “an attempt to hide any evidence of the pregnancy, birth and newborn baby.”

The search warrant requests for Snelling’s social media and iCloud accounts state that the police investigating the case believe these accounts “could contain current or deleted information that relates to Ms. Snelling’s pregnancy, to the birth of the full-term baby, and ultimately its potential demise.”

The investigation affidavit states that Snelling was detained, transported to police headquarters and later to the UK Hospital on the day of the birth, where she spoke to officers and medical staff.

Snelling told police she gave birth at 4 a.m. on Aug. 27, the baby fell onto the floor and she didn’t think he was “breathing or alive,” according to the affidavit. 

Around the same time, one of Snelling’s roommates sent a message in their Snapchat group chat stating she “heard loud noises like something had fallen,” according to a police interview with a roommate.

Another roommate confirmed hearing the noises and stated they lasted for approximately an hour. 

Snelling told the police that she was “awake for around 30 minutes after giving birth before falling on top of the baby.” 

When she woke up from passing out, she got up and observed “the baby turning blue and purple.” She said she believed him to be dead and “wrapped the baby up like a burrito and laid next to it” because it “gave her a little comfort in the moment,” the affidavit said.

She was then woken up by her 7:30 a.m. alarm, at which point she went to the kitchen to get a black trash bag. She told police she came back into her room, placed the baby, still wrapped in the towel, in the trash bag, then put the trash bag inside the closet. 

Snelling told police she then took a shower to clean off the blood before cleaning up the rest of the blood in her room with paper towels and the towel she had wrapped the baby in. She also said she “placed the placenta inside a zip lock bag” and placed it in the black trash bag.

Snelling then wrapped the baby back up with the towel, placed the trash bag back into the closet and shut the door. 

At 8:48 a.m., Snelling responded in the group chat, stating that the noises were caused by her passing out as she had not eaten and had not been feeling well. She told them she was going to see a doctor. 

Snelling told police she then left her residence for her 9:30 a.m. class, but sat in her vehicle in the parking lot instead of attending. The affidavit said she stated she was “not feeling well,” so she “ordered McDonalds through the McDonalds app.”

She told police she then picked up her food, went to the University of Kentucky’s student clinic, where she “also did not go inside,” then returned home.

Records show that police arrived at her residence at 10:34 a.m., her roommate having called them to report discovering the baby, and that Snelling returned home “shortly thereafter and was detained by patrol officers.” 

Snelling’s roommates, curious as to her story and suspicious of her pregnancy despite never confirming it with her, entered her room while she was gone. They discovered a “blood-soaked towel on the floor and a plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth” as well as “the deceased newborn baby placed in bags” in Snelling’s closet. 

Snelling pleaded not guilty to the charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant on Sept. 2. She appeared in court today and waived her right to a preliminary hearing.

The Kernel contacted Snelling’s lawyers at Nash Marshall, PLLC, for comment and was told they would not be able to take a media inquiry at this time.

This story is ongoing. The Kentucky Kernel will provide updates as they become available.

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