An ex-boyfriend of a University of Kentucky cheerleader charged in the death and concealment of a newborn has provided a DNA sample to be compared with the infant, the ex-boyfriend's father told Daily Mail in an interview.
Laken Snelling, 21, was arrested on Aug. 30 and is accused of wrapping a newborn in a towel, placing the body in a black bag and hiding it in a closet at her off-campus residence in Lexington, Kentucky, according to published reports. The alleged discovery and the criminal case that followed have drawn intense local and national attention.
Justin Smith, 45, identified by Daily Mail as the father of former University of Kentucky quarterback Izaiah Hall, said his son has submitted a DNA sample to investigators to determine whether he is the father of the infant. "There's a DNA test, it's already underway. Izaiah's done this to find out if he was the father," Smith told the outlet from the family's home in Newport, Tennessee. He said he did not know when results would be returned and that he had been told it could be a couple of weeks.
Media coverage of the case has linked Snelling, a senior at the university, to a series of relationships in the months before her arrest. Daily Mail reported that she dated quarterback Izaiah Hall before becoming involved with former varsity basketball player Jordon Connor, 24, and that Snelling and Connor took a posed photo shoot together months prior to the Aug. 30 arrest. The outlet published images and accounts tying the relationships to the ongoing inquiry.
Authorities have not publicly released all investigative findings, and prosecutors have not announced formal paternity results. The reported DNA testing is separate from the criminal charges facing Snelling; the legal proceedings are expected to continue while investigators seek to establish circumstances surrounding the infant's death and concealment.
The case has prompted inquiries from local law enforcement and media outlets into the timeline of Snelling's relationships and whether those with whom she was involved may be connected to the investigation. Defense counsel, prosecutors and university officials were not identified in the Daily Mail report as having issued statements in response to the father's comments regarding the DNA test.
Snelling's arrest on Aug. 30 led to her being charged in connection with the discovery at the Lexington residence. Court filings and charging documents detail the allegations; as of the latest reports, she faces criminal charges related to the newborn's death and concealment. Those charges carry potential criminal penalties but are subject to adjudication in court.
The DNA testing now under way could affect the direction of the inquiry by identifying the infant's biological parentage, a fact that could inform investigative questions about prenatal care, living arrangements and the events immediately preceding the alleged concealment. Investigators typically await laboratory confirmation before publicly discussing paternity results or presenting them in court.
As proceedings move forward, legal timelines and laboratory processing times will determine when more definitive information becomes available. For now, the family statement that a DNA sample has been taken marks a new development in a case that has drawn scrutiny on campus and beyond, as officials and media continue to follow developments in Lexington and in the lives of those connected to Snelling.