The University of Kentucky cheerleader accused of hiding her dead newborn baby in a trash bag has been branded an ‘appearance-obsessed serial bully’ by the family of one of her ‘victims’, in an exclusive Daily Mail interview.
And Laken Snelling, 21, is even accused of once trying to run down a fellow student with her Jeep and being so mean that others transferred schools to get away from her.
Snelling’s all-American popular façade crumbled after she was arrested Saturday in Lexington when the infant’s body was found in her off-campus home; she was released Tuesday on $100,000 bond.
Snelling was ordered to live with her parents in home incarceration after pleading not guilty to charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
The alleged actions of the university senior and member of the college’s competitive cheer ‘stunt team’ have ignited speculation, wild theories and occasional sympathy among internet sleuths.
But former fellow high school student Sydney Kite, now 20, told the Daily Mail: ‘I don’t know the circumstances of what is alleged to have happened over the baby.
‘However, I do know that Laken had many, many people that she took her personal anger out on. My sister was one of them.
‘While in high school, she tried to run over one of my closest friends with her Jeep. The bullying got so bad my friend had to be pulled out of school and transferred to another because Laken had taken it so far.
Images posted on social media in recent months showed Snelling with what appeared to be a bump in her midriff
Sydney Kite, who now lives in Newport, Tennessee, with her partner and infant daughter, claimed her sister was often at the mercy of her classmate Snelling
‘Even after my friend left, Laken then kept it up with cyberbullying with text messages.
‘There were other individuals who had to transfer to get away from her. And after they did that, she would continue to message them and make TikToks and social media posts about them as well.’
Daily Mail emails and phone calls to Laken and members of her family asking for comment on the accusations were not returned.
Snelling and Kite attended the same elementary school and middle school in White Pine, Tennessee, and high school in nearby Jefferson. Kite was a year ahead but her sister was in the same grade as Snelling.
‘If you didn’t have a certain amount of money or a certain amount of popularity, then you weren’t really in Laken’s circle,’ said Kite, who has a baby daughter with partner Kenyon Biggs in Newport, Tennessee.
‘She was obsessed with her appearance, very obsessed with being popular and fitting in.
‘She was always obsessed with being very thin, with wearing tight-fitting clothes. ‘She wanted a lot of attention.
‘She would bully my sister and her friends in the bathroom at school. She would just corner them. There were talks with teachers about her behavior, but nothing led to her stopping doing it.
University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling was arrested for allegedly putting her dead newborn in a trash bag hidden in a closet. She pled not guilty. She has come under fire by a former school mate for being a ‘vain bully’
Kite claimed Snelling once tried to mow down a friend with her Jeep and that her bullying was so relentless some students transferred – only to face the same taunts online
‘I know my mother reported it to the school, and Laken and I had our own interaction. I cornered her in the bathroom and told her to stop messing with my sister while we were in middle school, say eighth grade.
‘She didn’t like it when people stood up to her, which is why she would go after the kids she saw as weaker. I wasn’t the sort of person to sit there and be bullied.’
Others on social media have backed Kite’s experience.
Jennifer Ricker wrote on Facebook: ‘I know this girl… she is a bully! Always treated my kids like trash in school and MANY others.
‘She attempted to run over one of the students and that student left school and moved schools because of HER!
‘She has never been held accountable for anything she does.’
An anonymous author in a Facebook discussion group wrote: ‘I attended her school. I didn’t know her personally, but everyone knew she was the mean girl.’
Snelling appeared somber at her short court appearance, despite wearing a glam red dress and make up, and spoke only briefly to agree with the judge’s order.
Her father Terry Snelling, a construction company supervisor from Jefferson City, held her hand as they walked outside the courtroom.
In a bizarre twist to the story, Daily Mail can reveal Snelling joined a Facebook group last year that organizes babysitters in the Lexington area. She was included in a ‘let’s welcome our new members’ announcement on November 25.
Snelling appeared in court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to the three charges against her. She was released on $100,000 bail and ordered to in-home incarceration with her parents
Snelling wore bright pink to her court appearance, walking hand-in-hand with her father Terry
Snelling does not have to wear an ankle monitor during her home incarceration.
The cheerleader ‘admitted to giving birth,’ during questioning over the horror find on August 27, according to a police report.
She admitted ‘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 citation reads.
Police made the discovery after being called to the home over a report of a ‘deceased infant being located inside of a closet’. It is not known who made the call.
The cause of death is pending a review by the Fayette County Coroner’s Office.
Ironically, in Snelling’s last TikTok post on June 25 she included an emoji of a mother holding a baby under her list of ‘goals’ beside a wedding ring and cash.
In other photos appearing to come from one of her social media accounts, she appears to be showing off a stomach bump while posing lovingly with a boyfriend as they walk in a field.
Other social media images in recent months also appear to reveal her sporting a bump.
Snelling ‘admitted to giving birth’ during questioning and stated she attempted to cover it up, cleaned the scene and stuffed the baby and materials into a black bag, according to a police report
The horror happened in a state where a near-total abortion ban has been in place since 2022, with no exceptions for rape or incest.
Abortions are only allowed to prevent the ‘substantial risk of death; or to prevent ‘the serious, permanent impairment or a life-sustaining organ’ of a pregnant woman or girl.
Some social media comments have highlighted the abortion ban, while others have pointed out the existence of safe haven baby boxes, where newborn children can be handed in anonymously.
Snelling is due to appear in court again on September 26.
Her university confirmed she has been a member of its ‘stunt team for the last three seasons’. It added in a statement to local TV station LEX18: ‘All other questions should be directed to Lexington Police.’
