Former classmates of Laken Snelling, the University of Kentucky competitive cheerleader arrested after her newborn was found inside a garbage bag tossed in a closet have described her as an "appearance-obsessed serial bully."

“She was obsessed with her appearance, very obsessed with being popular and fitting in,” said Sydney Kite, who attended the same high school as Snelling and accused her of mercilessly bullying her sister and some of her friends, via the Daily Mail.

“Laken had many, many people that she took her personal anger out on. My sister was one of them,” she added. “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.”

Snelling, who pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday (September 2), was charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. The baby was found by Lexington Police officers "wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag," according to a police report obtained by WLWT.

Snelling was confirmed to be the mother of the baby, having "admitted to giving birth," while being interviewed by officers. The infant was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nearly all abortions have been illegal in the state of Kentucky dating back to 2022. Snelling, a senior, is listed on the University of Kentucky's athletics website as a member of the STUNT cheerleading team, having competed for the past three seasons, Lex18 reports.

“We can confirm that she has been a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons. All other questions should be directed to the Lexington Police,” a university spokesperson told the news station.

Snelling was held at the Fayette County Detention Center, but ordered to remain in home incarceration and live with her parents after posting $100,000 in bail, according to court records.

The Fayette County County Coroner's Office will determine the infant's cause of death. A preliminary hearing is scheduled to be held on September 26.

Outkick the Coverage