Laken Sneely, a 21-year-old former University of Kentucky cheerleader, has withdrawn from the school days after her arrest on charges related to the discovery of a deceased newborn in her home, university officials and court records show.
A university spokesman, Jay Blanton, told the Lexington Herald-Leader that Sneely "is no longer on the STUNT team." Official rosters show she had competed on the STUNT squad for three years. It was not immediately clear when her withdrawal from the university took effect.
Lexington police arrested Sneely on Aug. 31 after officers responding to a report located a deceased infant inside a closet at her Lexington residence, according to charging documents. The baby was found wrapped in a towel and placed inside a black trash bag, the arrest citation said. The infant was pronounced dead at the scene; the cause and manner of death remain undetermined pending further testing.
Sneely was charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. She pleaded not guilty and was released on a $100,000 bond with court-ordered home incarceration at her parents' home in Jefferson City, Tennessee, records and media reports show. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 26.
Fayette County Coroner Gary W. Ginn said the initial autopsy was inconclusive and that officials will perform "extensive microscopic analyses" to determine the cause and manner of death. Ginn said those analyses will include tissue testing and a microscopic examination of the brain by a neuroscientist, and that certain tissues must be allowed time to set before detailed examination, which can extend the timeline for a final report.
The arrest citation states that Sneely admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence before hiding supplies and the infant in the closet. It did not specify who called police to report the deceased infant. The citation includes a statement that by wrapping the infant in towels and placing it in a trash bag, the suspect "treated the corpse in a way that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities."
Photographs posted to social media in recent months showed Sneely with what appeared to be a pregnancy bump; one image from June shows a man, identified in the post as her boyfriend, holding her stomach. It is not clear from public records whether Sneely had told family, friends or teammates that she was pregnant.
Court filings and media accounts describe Sneely's appearance in court accompanied by family. She largely kept her head down during the hearing and was seen holding her father's hand as she left the courthouse. The Fayette County coroner's office reiterated that its investigation is ongoing and that officials are conducting a "thorough and methodical death investigation to ensure all facts are carefully considered."
The case remains under investigation by Lexington police and the Fayette County coroner. Prosecutors and police have not provided a timetable for when the coroner's microscopic analyses will be complete or whether additional charges could be filed after the investigation concludes.