Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: BEAUTY-QUEEN-CHEERLEADER SELFIES, BABY IN TRASH BAG DEAD IN CLOSET

Release Date: November 29, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the disturbing case of Laken Snelling, a University of Kentucky cheerleader and pageant winner, who allegedly gave birth in secret, took selfies during labor, then left her newborn son to die—wrapping him in towels and a trash bag, placing the body in her closet, and going out for McDonald's. Nancy Grace and her guests explore the psychological, legal, and forensic facets of the case, drawing connections to similar crimes and questioning societal responses to infanticide.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Shocking Allegations Against Laken Snelling

• Selfies During Labor:

  • Laken allegedly filled her phone with labor selfies, then attempted to delete them to conceal evidence of giving birth.
  • Nancy Grace (02:38): “Snelling's phone was full of images of her during labor...then she deletes, tries to delete the photos in an apparent attempt to hide the birth of the baby.”

• Concealment and Aftermath:

  • After birth, the baby, heard “whimpering” (i.e., alive), was wrapped in towels and a trash bag, stashed in her closet.
  • Snelling then reportedly left her apartment for a meal at McDonald’s.
  • Roommates later found a blood-soaked towel and the bag, leading to the discovery.

• Legal Standing:

  • At the time of the episode, Snelling is not charged with murder but with "abuse of a corpse" and other related charges.
  • She’s released on bond, not required to wear an ankle monitor, and awaiting cause-of-death (COD) findings.

2. The Barbie Fantasy and Disconnection from Reality

• Public Persona vs. Inner Life:

  • Dr. Bethany Marshall analyzes Snelling’s self-description as a “real-life Barbie,” highlighting a psychological detachment from reality and motherhood.
  • Dr. Bethany Marshall (08:44): “This young woman's life is wrapped in fantasy, not reality. The fantasy of having a baby seems a lot more compelling to her than the reality of a baby.”

• Social Media and Image:

  • Laken’s Instagram and pink Barbie apartment are cited as evidence of a superficial, fantasy-based life, prioritizing image over genuine relationships or responsibility.

3. Legal and Forensic Complications in Infant Death Cases

• Difficulties in Prosecution:

  • Former prosecutor Josh Colesrude references the case of Skylar Richardson, another cheerleader accused of neonaticide, to underline the difficulty in proving homicide and the tendency to plea down infant death cases.
  • Josh Colesrude (13:38): “Neonanticide...is extremely difficult to prove because the scientific tests generally cannot say with any certainty that murder was the result.”

• The Forensic Process:

  • Renowned medical examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns explains the procedures for determining whether the baby was born alive and COD:
    • Gestational age, examination for visible trauma or birth defects.
    • The “float test”: lungs are removed and floated in water to see if they’ve taken air (indicating life).
    • Liver float test and microscopic tissue analysis to rule out decomposition or other explanations for lung buoyancy.
  • Dr. Kendall Crowns (28:30): “If they took a breath, the lungs will fill up with air and they could potentially float if you put them in water.”

• Potential for Asphyxiation:

  • Dr. Crowns confirms that placing a live baby in a sealed trash bag is a documented mechanism of asphyxial death.
  • Dr. Kendall Crowns (53:21): “There's not enough oxygen in there for the child to survive. And so they eventually will suffocate by being in a plastic bag. Just as if you put a plastic bag over your head, it would suffocate you.”

4. Society and Justice System Response

• Minimizing Infant Victims:

  • Nancy Grace and panelists continually return to the issue that justice for infant victims is often minimized; charges are plead down, and community outrage is often muted compared to crimes against adults.
  • Nancy Grace (12:45): “When the victim is a baby, somehow it's treated as less important in our justice system.”

• “Pretty for Jail” and Social Privilege:

  • The show's guests explore themes of privilege, questioning whether Snelling’s appearance, race, or social standing produced leniency in bail and pre-trial monitoring.
  • Nancy Grace (43:01): “Could it be that she's young and pretty and rich and white?...Does that factor into that bond decision? Because I think it does. Is she pretty for jail?”

5. Parallels to Other Infanticide Cases

• The show references several other infamous cases (e.g., Casey Anthony, Skylar Richardson, Emily Weaver), highlighting recurring patterns:

  • Babies are often wrapped in blankets, placed in trash bags, and left to die or disposed of, sometimes with attempts at concealment or deception.
  • Motives frequently center on denial, fantasy, inconvenience, or social stigma.

• Dr. Bethany Marshall (38:41): “Women who commit infanticide usually are not attached to the baby when they are pregnant. The baby is like an ‘it,’ a thing. It does not have a personality.”

• Distinctions between “soft kills” (suffocation, neglect) and violent murders are made, but all are regarded as horrifying.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

“After giving birth, the beauty queen cheerleader reportedly stuffs the baby boy in a trash bag, then heads to McDonald's for a tiny bite.”
— Nancy Grace, 02:38

“The fantasy of being Barbie is a lot more compelling to her than the reality of who she is as a mother.”
— Dr. Bethany Marshall, 08:44

“When the victim is a baby, somehow it's treated as less important in our justice system.”
— Nancy Grace, 12:45

“Neonanticide...is extremely difficult to prove because the scientific tests generally cannot say with any certainty that murder was the result.”
— Josh Colesrude, 13:38

“You’re saying one of the first things you do to determine COD...is you do a float test on the lungs...What that means is the baby is sliced open, its lungs are removed, and they're dunked in water.”
— Nancy Grace and Dr. Kendall Crowns, 28:52–29:25

“There's not enough oxygen in there for the child to survive. And so they eventually will suffocate by being in a plastic bag. Just as if you put a plastic bag over your head, it would suffocate you.”
— Dr. Kendall Crowns, 53:21

“Could it be that she's young and pretty and rich and white?...Is she pretty for jail?”
— Nancy Grace, 43:01

Important Segments & Timestamps

| Segment | Contents | |---------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | [02:38] – [06:20] | Introduction to case details; discovery, evidence, Laken’s background | | [08:44] – [11:31] | Dr. Bethany Marshall’s analysis of “Barbie” fantasy, detachment from reality | | [12:14] – [16:43] | Details of investigation, speculation about roommates, parallels to other cases | | [18:58] – [19:42] | Witnesses (roommates, college friends), denial and visible pregnancy questioned | | [23:16] – [33:33] | Forensic explanation: live birth, float tests, microscopic studies | | [36:07] – [36:33] | Status of case; Snelling charged but not with murder | | [38:41] – [41:23] | Texts from Snelling reveal self-absorption, idealization, lack of maternal attachment | | [43:01] – [43:21] | Nancy on appearance and legal privilege (“pretty for jail?”) | | [46:28] – [55:02] | Reference and comparison to similar “baby-in-trash-bag” cases; mechanism of death | | [53:21] – [53:43] | Dr. Crowns on asphyxiation via trash bag |

Additional Insights

• Denial and Secrecy: Multiple guests highlight that denial, secrecy, and fantasy play outsized roles in female-perpetrated neonaticide cases.
• Social Media as Evidence: The role of deleted selfies and texts as both evidence and indicators of mental state is emphasized.
• Forensic Realities: Vivid explanations of forensic procedures bring home the physical reality of determining infant COD, evoking strong emotional responses from the host and audience.
• Justice for Victims: The episode closes on Nancy Grace’s plea for justice for the true victim—the baby boy—amidst a case that has thus far centered on the alleged perpetrator’s image and status.

Conclusion

This harrowing episode of "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace" exposes the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Laken Snelling's newborn, discussing the psychological, legal, and forensic challenges in prosecuting such cases. The show not only unpacks Snelling's public persona and private actions but also interrogates societal and systemic failures in taking infant deaths seriously. Key experts provide both hard facts and impassioned commentary on the need for justice—both for the overlooked victims and against the glamorization of the accused.