Details continue to emerge in the arrest of former University of Kentucky competitive cheerleader Laken Snelling, who was charged with hiding her newborn baby in a closet. 

According to Lexington Police records obtained by LEX18, the fetal remains “appeared to be full term when discovered.”

Snelling, 21, told medical staff she “guessed” the baby was alive when she gave birth, saying that she heard a “whimper.”

Per the police records, Snelling said she passed out after giving birth and fell on top of the baby. When she woke up, she noticed the infant was “blue and purple.”

After a search warrant was executed on Snelling’s phone, authorities found searches “including different things pertaining to pregnancy, images of her during labor, photos of her doing things ordinary pregnant women should not be doing, and a concealed or hidden pregnancy.”

Some of the photos of Snelling giving birth had been deleted, leading Lexington Police to theorize “other items could have also been deleted in an attempt to hide any evidence of the pregnancy, birth and newborn baby.”

Snelling was arrested on August 30 and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.

Authorities received a call from a third party on August 27, reporting an infant that was “cold to the touch” was found in a closet at their Lexington residence near the University of Kentucky’s campus.

The “infant was located wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag,” according to an arrest citation.

When Snelling was later questioned by authorities, she “admitted to giving birth” and to “concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel.”

The infant’s cause of death was ruled inconclusive and “extensive microscopic analyses are essential to determine the cause and manner of death,” according to a report from the Fayette County Coroner’s Office obtained by Us on September 4.

“I understand the community’s concern and sensitivity surrounding the death of a child,” Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said in the report. “We are conducting a thorough and methodical death investigation to ensure all facts are carefully considered.”

Snelling pleaded not guilty to all charges during a September 2 court hearing and was released on $100,000 bond to live on house arrest with her parents in Tennessee. She was back inside a Lexington courtroom on Friday, September 26, when she waived her right to a preliminary trial. The case will now proceed to a grand jury. 

Snelling was supported by “approximately 10” former classmates during the court appearance on Friday. 

At the time of her arrest, Snelling was a student at the University of Kentucky and a member of the school’s STUNT cheerleading team. 

A spokesperson for the school told Us Weekly on September 6 that Snelling is no longer enrolled at the university or on the STUNT team. 

In a statement to Us on September 8, the Lexington Police Department said the investigation into the infant’s death remains “ongoing.”