A 21-year-old former UK cheerleader pleads not guilty to charges after her newborn was found dead in a bag in her closet.

Laken Snelling, a 21-year-old former University of Kentucky cheerleader, has pleaded not guilty to charges including concealing a birth, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse after her newborn was found dead in a black plastic bag in her closet. Roommates reported hearing noises around 4 a.m., and when Snelling left for McDonald’s, they discovered blood-soaked towels and the infant, cold to the touch. She admitted to giving birth, claiming she believed the baby was unresponsive and wrapped it for comfort, but court documents reveal she told medical staff the baby moved and whimpered after birth and took photos during labor before deleting them. An autopsy was inconclusive, with further microscopic analysis pending. Snelling has withdrawn from school and is no longer on the university’s STUNT team. The investigation remains active.