Inside Kentucky Student’s Social Media Posts Before Death of Baby

University of Kentucky senior Laken Snelling has dreamt about getting married, buying a house and having children, according to social media posts she has shared online.

But now, a TikTok video the 21-year-old competitive cheerleader apparently posted on June 25 has taken on new meaning as she stands accused of hiding her dead newborn in her closet.

Snelling was arrested on Sunday, Aug. 31, after her newborn was found in the closet, “wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag,” according to the arrest citation reviewed by PEOPLE.

She is charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, the Lexington Police Department said in a news release. 

On Tuesday, Sept. 2, she pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains under house arrest at her parents’ home in Tennessee.

The following day, Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn announced that the results of a preliminary autopsy were inconclusive.

With the cause and manner of death and other details still unknown, questions remain about when she gave birth, if she had a miscarriage, if the baby was born alive or stillborn and if she knew she was pregnant.

Social media sleuths searching for answers pointed to Snelling’s June 25 TikTok post that appeared to show her standing on the street wearing a white tank top and pink gingham pants with Beyonce and Dolly Parton’s hit song, Tyrant, playing in the background.

Categories including her “fav color,” “fav season,” “birth month,” “eye color,” and “goals” were superimposed onto the picture. Under the “goals” category she posted an emoji of a diamond ring, a bag of money, a family of four, a house — and a mother holding a baby.

On July 18, the young woman posted pictures of her in a long white dress and a young man, presumably her boyfriend, standing in a field holding hands, with the caption, #couples photography.

Other photos show her and her presumed boyfriend sitting down in the grass, with her holding her stomach and leaning against him.

Many people who commented on the post speculated that this was a maternity shoot and that she appeared to be pregnant in the pictures.

“????? this is a MATERNITY SHOOT,” one commenter speculated.

Another commenter speculated about the picture of her sitting on the grass and leaning against her boyfriend, writing, “Third picture in is so clear shes pregnant. What the hell was she thinking.”

Other commenters told people not to rush to judgment.

“Did anyone think maybe the baby was still born?” a user wrote. “Maybe she freaked out? She’s young. Maybe she hid it from her family and had no one to reach out to? Just maybe.”

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The alleged crime came to light when officers were dispatched to Snelling’s off-campus home on Wednesday, Aug. 27, after police received a report about an unresponsive infant who was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in the release.

Snelling allegedly admitted to giving birth, cleaning up afterward and throwing all the evidence in a black trash bag, “including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel,” according to the arrest citation.

Authorities identified Snelling as the newborn’s biological mother.

It is unclear who the man in the pictures is and whether he had anything to do with the case.

Snelling has competed on the school’s competitive cheer STUNT team for three years, and is originally from White Pine, Tenn., according to an official team roster.

The death investigation remains ongoing pending the results of further studies.

Snelling was held at the Fayette County Detention Center after her arrest. She was released on Sept. 2 on a $100,000 bond, according to court documents reviewed by PEOPLE.

Her attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.