Laken Snelling, the University of Kentucky competitive cheerleader arrested after her newborn was found inside a garbage bag tossed in a closet, recently dated a former college basketball player.

Connor Jordan, who previously basketball at King University, Tusculum University and Lincoln Memorial University, was featured in numerous posts shared by Snelling on her social media accounts prior to her recent arrest, though it wasn't immediately clear if he was the father of the infant found dead at her off-campus residence in Lexington. Jordan, who was identified repeatedly by Snelling's followers, was seen holding hands with Snelling and embracing her in a field in a post shared on TikTok in June, as well as another post kissing her on the cheek in April.

Snelling's last TikTok post shared on June 25 also included an emoji of a mother holding a baby, which she listed among her "goals," along with a wedding ring, cash, family and house. 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.

Mandy Connell