The Shocking Case of Laken Snelling, the University of Kentucky Student Who Hid Her Pregnancy and Left a Newborn in Her Closet
The story of Laken Snelling is one of those cases that forces you to pause, reread, and still struggle to process what actually happened. Snelling, once a bright and promising member of the University of Kentucky stunt team, is now at the center of a heartbreaking and disturbing tragedy. On August 27, 2025, around four in the morning, her roommates reported hearing loud noises coming from her room. Hours later, the discovery would shake not only them but the entire campus community—a newborn baby was found dead inside her closet.
According to police reports and newly released court records, Snelling gave birth alone in her room. She told investigators that she was awake for about thirty minutes after the delivery before she “passed out” on top of her baby. When she awoke, she said she found the infant turning blue and purple. Rather than seek immediate help, she placed the newborn into a black trash bag and left him in her closet. To her roommates, she only said that she wasn’t feeling well and needed to see a doctor.
Her roommates, however, quickly grew suspicious. They noticed blood in the room, a soaked towel on the floor, and eventually a plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth. This discovery led them to alert authorities, who launched an investigation that brought to light disturbing details. Police revealed that Snelling’s phone contained numerous searches related to pregnancy, concealed pregnancies, and images of herself during labor. These searches suggested she may have been hiding her condition all along, masking it from those closest to her.
The baby, later identified in reports as a full-term infant, could have been surrendered safely and anonymously under Kentucky’s Safe Haven laws. There was even a Safe Haven Baby Box available nearby, a resource designed to prevent tragedies exactly like this. Instead, the choices made that night led to devastating consequences—both the loss of a life and the collapse of a young woman’s future.
This case is heartbreaking on multiple levels. For the roommates who heard the cries and noises, there will likely always be the haunting memory of what happened behind that closed door. For the baby who never had the chance to live, it is a reminder of how fragile and dependent new life truly is. And for Snelling, who once seemed to be on a promising path as a student and cheerleader, it represents a fall from grace that will follow her forever.
What stands out most is the silence and secrecy that surrounded this pregnancy. Court records suggest she had been researching ways to hide her condition, which shows a young woman under enormous pressure and fear, unwilling or unable to seek help. While accountability is crucial in a case like this, it also raises questions about what kind of support systems failed her. Why did she feel she could not tell anyone? Why did she not reach out for medical help before or after delivery?
This tragedy also underscores the importance of spreading awareness about Safe Haven laws and Baby Boxes. These laws exist to prevent newborns from being abandoned or harmed, giving mothers an option when they feel they cannot raise a child. The fact that such an option was nearby but unused is a painful reminder of how much more education and outreach is needed.
The story of Laken Snelling is not only about one young woman and one terrible night—it’s about how society handles hidden pregnancies, how peers and communities can be more vigilant, and how easily preventable tragedies can still unfold in silence. It is a case that leaves behind grief, unanswered questions, and a lesson that should never be ignored.
