Laken Snelling, a senior at the University of Kentucky, has dropped out just days after her last court appearance for allegedly hiding her dead newborn baby in her closet.
According to the Lexington Herald Leader, university spokesperson Jay Blanton confirmed on Friday, Sept. 5, that Snelling has withdrawn from the Lexington-area school and is no longer a member of the STUNT team.
The 21-year-old was a member of the school’s competitive cheer STUNT team for three years, according to the official roster.
The school declined to say when Snelling dropped out.
Snelling was arrested on Sunday, Aug. 31, after her newborn was discovered in the closet, “wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag,” according to an arrest citation reviewed by PEOPLE.
She has been charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, according to a news release from the Lexington Police Department.
Snelling, who is originally from White Pine, Tenn., was placed under house arrest at her parents’ home in Jefferson City, Tenn., and appeared in court on Tuesday, Sept. 2, where she pleaded not guilty, KBTX reports.
The following day, Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn announced that a preliminary autopsy was inconclusive.
He stated that the death investigation is still ongoing pending the results of additional studies.
Authorities had previously identified Snelling as the newborn’s biological mother.
With the cause and manner of death and other details unknown, questions remain about when Snelling gave birth, if she miscarried, if the baby was born alive or stillborn, and whether she was aware she was pregnant.
The alleged crime was discovered when officers were dispatched to Snelling’s off-campus home on Wednesday, August 27, following a report of an unresponsive infant who was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.
According to the arrest citation, Snelling allegedly admitted to giving birth, cleaning up afterwards, and throwing all the evidence in a black trash bag, “including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel,”
Snelling was arrested and held at the Fayette County Detention Center before being released on September 2 on $100,000 bond, according to court documents previously reviewed by PEOPLE.
