Laken Snelling Case: Cheerleader Charged After Newborn Found Dead

The Incident and Accusations

• 💡 Laken Snelling, a University of Kentucky cheerleader, is accused after her newborn baby boy was found dead in a trash bag in her closet.
• 📌 Snelling allegedly secretly gave birth, wrapped the baby in a towel, and placed him in a trash bag, along with cleaning materials.
• ⚖️ She faces charges including abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the birth, but not murder, as the cause of death is undetermined.

Background and Behavior

• 👑 Snelling was a beauty queen and student athlete, described as a "real life Barbie" with an all-pink apartment.
• 🧠 A psychoanalyst suggested her "Barbie" persona indicated a fantasy-driven life disconnected from reality, potentially extending to her pregnancy.
• 🤸‍♀️ She was observed performing cheerleading stunts while visibly pregnant, which was interpreted as denial and a lack of maternal attachment.

Investigating the Cause of Death

• 🔬 The autopsy report is currently inconclusive regarding the baby's cause of death (COD), with microscopic tests underway.
• 🔍 Medical examiners perform tests like the lung float test (to see if lungs contain air, indicating breathing) and a liver float test (to rule out decompositional gases).
• 🩺 Further examination includes looking for disease processes, air in lung alveoli, issues with the placenta or umbilical cord, and any signs of birth or inflicted trauma.
• ⚠️ It was suggested that the baby could have suffocated by being placed in a sealed trash bag, lacking oxygen.

Legal Proceedings and Comparisons

• 🏛️ Snelling pleaded not guilty and was released on a $100,000 bond, awaiting trial on house arrest without an ankle monitor.
• ⚖️ The defense highlights the difficulty of proving neonaticide (intentional killing of a baby within 24 hours) due to scientific test limitations.
• 💬 The case draws comparisons to others like Skylar Richardson and Emily Weaver, where infants were found dead and mothers faced charges, often involving similar circumstances of concealment.

Psychological Insights

• 💬 Snelling's personal texts expressed a desire for a "mini me" (a girl) and an idealized family life, suggesting a self-centered preoccupation rather than attachment to the baby boy.
• 💔 Psychoanalysts noted that women who commit infanticide often have no attachment to the baby during pregnancy, viewing it as an "it" or an inconvenience to their life plans.
• ❓ The question was raised why a woman would carry a baby to term and then murder it, rather than seeking an abortion, with the explanation being a dissociation from the reality of the pregnancy.