After the body of a newborn was found inside the closet of former competitive cheerleader Laken Snelling, an infant safety activist shared that the tragedy “could have been avoided.”
The 21-year-old was taken into custody on August 31, four days after officers were called to a home on Park Avenue in Lexington, Kentucky, for a report of an unresponsive baby.
Snelling has since admitted to giving birth to the infant and is now facing several charges while awaiting trial.
Just 8-10 minutes from Snelling’s home, a Safe Haven Baby Box was installed, something the activist said “would have been safe for her and her child.”
Laken Snelling was arrested after giving birth and attempting to hide evidence of the deceased infant in a trash bag
Image credits: Laken Snelling/Facebook
Trigger warning: This article contains references to deceased infants.
The Lexington Police Department (LPD) was alerted to the incident by an anonymous tipster, not by Snelling herself.
According to the police report, “(the tipster) just found a d**d baby in a closet, it is cold to the touch.”
Snelling has pleaded not guilty to the charges of a**se of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, and has been placed under house arrest with a $100,000 bond.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for September 26.
In a surprising twist, Fox 56 News reported that Lexington had opened its first-ever Safe Haven Baby Box in January 2025.
Image credits: Fayette County Detention Center/LEX18
It was installed at Fire Station #2, located at 1276 Eastland Drive, just minutes from the former University of Kentucky student’s off-campus apartment.
The Lexington Fire Department hailed the Safe Haven Baby Boxes as a “compassionate and secure option for mothers in crisis who cannot care for their newborns,” during its inauguration.
The 21-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges against her but was placed under house arrest
Image credits: Visualss/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
Infant safety activist and founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Monica Kelsey, shared her opinion on the tragedy with the outlet.
“What’s frustrating to me is that she didn’t choose something safe for her and her child. Now we have a d**d infant, and we also have a mother that’s probably going to spend the rest of her life in prison. Both could have been avoided.”
According to the Baby Boxes’ official website, “each box ensures the safe and anonymous surrender of infants.”
The mechanism works by locking the exterior door automatically once a newborn is placed inside, while an interior door allows medical personnel to promptly and securely retrieve the baby.
This system also helps prevent the displacement of infants by random strangers.
An infant safety activist claimed the baby could have been saved by the Safe Haven Baby Box installed minutes away from Laken’s home
Image credits: Laken Snelling/Facebook
The Lexington Fire Department’s baby box is equipped with a system that sends a signal to dispatch, and within three to four minutes, someone arrives to retrieve the baby.
It was the 303rd installation of a baby box across the country and the 49th in Kentucky alone.
Similar baby box programs exist in several countries outside the U.S., including Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Malaysia, Canada, and others.
At the inauguration, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said the city was “fortunate” to have a “life-saving environment for newborns” offered through the Safe Haven program.
Image credits: Project Safe Haven Baby Box
“We are fortunate to bring the program to Lexington and to have Lexington Fire Department Fire Station #2 serve as the location of our first Safe Haven Baby Box. Thank you to the Knights of Columbus.”
Snelling has since stepped away from her competitive cheerleading position at the University of Kentucky and has also disenrolled from the university.
The former University of Kentucky student is scheduled to appear in court again on September 26
Image credits: Safe Haven Baby Boxes/YouTube
The body of an infant boy was found inside a black trash bag, wrapped in a towel.
Although an autopsy was conducted to determine the cause of d**th, the examiner at the Fayette County Coroner’s Office could not confirm whether the child was stillborn or alive at birth.
Many netizens expressed sympathy for Laken, citing her young age. Some argued that “the baby was stillborn and it freaked her out.”
“Not justifying what she did whatsoever but what if it was stillbirth? Maybe she panicked?” wrote one user on social media.
Image credits: WTVQ/YouTube
“I can only imagine the pressure she must have experienced. Now because of a panicked poor decision her life is ruined,” added another.
“Let’s give this young woman some grace at least until we know the facts… None of us knows what happened or her mental state.”
However, others argued that she had “options,” such as the Safe Haven Baby Box.
“Yes, she had options. That poor sweet child didn’t have any though, did it? People make choices,” wrote one user.
Snelling has moved out of her apartment and gone back to live with her parents in Tennessee during the ongoing investigation
Image credits: Brenda Mitchell Brackett/Facebook
“She absolutely had all kinds of options. And she chose cruelty and evil instead. I hope she gets the maximum punishment allowed.”
Kelsey also highlighted the possibility that the former cheerleader might not have been aware of the baby box program near her home.
“We’re being reactive to a d**d infant. And I hate that, because I want to be proactive. I want people to know that these boxes exist. These boxes are working throughout the country. We just need to make sure that everyone knows about it.”
Image credits: UK Athletics
Laken has been living under house arrest with her parents in Tennessee as the investigation continues.
Her ex-boyfriend, Izaiah Hall, has submitted a DNA sample to determine whether he was the father of the deceased infant.
If Snelling is found guilty on all the charges pressed by authorities, she could face long-term prison sentences.
“She absolutely did have options and she should be held accountable for her actions,” one netizen wrote
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