What the Kentucky Cheerleader “Dead Baby” Case Actually Reveals About America
Two weeks ago at the University of Kentucky, a cheerleader was accused of secretly giving birth, stuffing her deceased infant into a garbage bag, and hiding the remains in her bedroom closet. The story took the internet by storm after 21-year-old Laken Snelling was booked into custody on August 31, then subsequently released on probation. First, the ever-insidious “true-crime TikTokers” started posting about the case, their videos flooding with hundreds of comments that insisted there was “no excuse” for Snelling’s actions. Some outright called her a murderer. Then, national media outlets latched onto the story, perhaps sniffing out a possible SEO boost. Many used the term “baby” in their headlines, while the New York Post called Snelling a “heartless mother.”