Ex-Kentucky Cheerleader Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Infant Son's Death
Prosecutors recommend a 10-year sentence after Snelling admitted killing her baby and concealing the birth, court records show.
- On Friday, Laken Snelling, a former University of Kentucky student, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in Fayette Circuit Court, reversing her not-guilty plea entered in April.
- A Fayette County grand jury indicted Snelling on March 10 following the discovery of an unresponsive infant on August 27, 2025, in the 400 block of Park Avenue in Lexington.
- The Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office determined the infant was born alive and died from asphyxia. Snelling, a former university STUNT team member, allegedly hid the body in a black trash bag inside a closet.
- Snelling admitted to investigators she ended her baby's life "instead of helping him" and placed the body in a trash bag. Roommates told investigators they "had suspicions" but never confirmed her pregnancy.
- Prosecutors are recommending a 10-year sentence for manslaughter plus one-year sentences for abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and a 12-month sentence for concealing the birth.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Laken Snelling pleaded guilty to manslaughter, body desecration, tampering with evidence and concealment of the birth of a baby
'I Deprived Him of Oxygen': Ex-Cheerleader Laken Snelling Finally Admits to Killing Her Newborn
Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling has admitted to killing her newborn son, months after pleading not guilty to first-degree manslaughter. Snelling, 22, became emotional as she reversed her previous plea in a Kentucky courtroom on Friday, admitting that she 'deprived him of oxygen' after giving birth alone in her bedroom. She pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence an…
Former Kentucky Cheerleader Makes Chilling Admission In Court Over Her Newborn Son’s Death
Some crimes are difficult to put into words. This is one of them. Laken Snelling, a former University of Kentucky student and STUNT team athlete, stood in a Fayette County courtroom Friday and pleaded guilty in the death of her newborn son. The 22-year-old admitted to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. But the most chilling moment came when Snelling acknowledged t…
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