Kentucky Cheerleader Indicted After Newborn Found Dead in Closet
A Fayette County grand jury indicted former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling on March 10, 2026, adding a first-degree manslaughter charge after the Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office determined her newborn son was born alive. Snelling, 21, now faces four felony and misdemeanor charges in connection with the death of her baby in August 2025.
What the Medical Examiner Found
The Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office determined the infant's cause of death was asphyxia by undetermined means. That finding was the basis for the new manslaughter charge. The baby had previously been found wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag in the closet of Snelling's off-campus Lexington apartment.
The Original Charges
Snelling was first arrested on August 30, 2025, three days after roommates called 911 after discovering the infant cold to the touch in her closet. She was initially charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. She pleaded not guilty to those charges in September 2025 and was released on $100,000 bond under house arrest at her parents' home in Tennessee.
What Happened That Night
According to court records and police documents, Snelling gave birth to a baby boy at approximately 4 a.m. on August 27, 2025, inside the home she shared with roommates. Court documents state she passed out on top of the baby after giving birth, then woke to find the infant turning blue and purple.
Snelling told police she believed the baby was dead and wrapped him up before laying next to him on the floor. She later admitted to cleaning up evidence of the birth, placing all materials into a black trash bag along with the infant, who was still wrapped in a towel.
After being taken to a hospital for evaluation, Snelling disclosed to staff that she had heard the newborn whimper before concealing the body. Investigators also determined she had taken photographs during labor but deleted them in what police described as an attempt to hide the birth.
The Grand Jury's Decision
Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney Kimberly Baird told local station WKYT that jurors were presented with information on all four levels of homicide before reaching their decision. "They were given the information about homicide, the four levels of homicide, and then deliberated and decided that manslaughter first degree was the charge that should come out of the grand jury," Baird said.
Under Kentucky law, first-degree manslaughter is a Class B felony. It applies when a person intends to cause serious physical injury and causes death, acts under extreme emotional disturbance, or intentionally abuses a child under age 12 resulting in death.
What She Faces
Snelling now faces four charges total. A conviction on first-degree manslaughter carries up to 20 years in prison. The remaining three charges could add up to 11 additional years, putting her maximum exposure at 31 years. Her arraignment on the manslaughter charge is scheduled for April 10, 2026, in Fayette Circuit Court.
Snelling was a senior at the University of Kentucky and a three-season member of the school's STUNT cheerleading team at the time of her arrest. A university spokesperson confirmed she was no longer enrolled or on the team shortly after the arrest. The STUNT team had finished second at the previous year's NCAA competition.
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