Former Kentucky Cheerleader Pleads Guilty in Newborn Son's Death
Laken Snelling, a former University of Kentucky cheerleader, pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree manslaughter in the death of her newborn son, whose body was found inside a trash bag in her closet last year.
Snelling, 22, entered her plea in a Lexington courtroom, reversing the not guilty plea she had entered in April after being indicted by a Fayette County grand jury. She also pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant, waiving her right to a trial. Sentencing has been scheduled for Oct. 16.
What Happened in August 2025
Lexington Police officers responded to a residence in the 400 block of Park Avenue around 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2025, after receiving a report of an unresponsive infant. Officers found the baby, who was pronounced dead at the scene, wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag in a closet. According to court documents, Snelling's roommates called police after finding blood in her room and hearing unusual noises.
The Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office later determined the infant was born alive and that his cause of death was asphyxia by undetermined means.
What Snelling Told the Court
Speaking through tears during Friday's hearing, Snelling addressed what led to her son's death, telling the court, "I was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly." She continued, "And instead of helping him, afterwards I cleaned up and didn't tell anyone." When Judge Diane Minnifield asked her to elaborate on what she meant by not helping him, Snelling said she had "deprived him of oxygen."
According to an affidavit previously cited by local outlet FOX56, Snelling told hospital staff after the incident that she heard the newborn "whimper" at birth and "guessed" he was alive, noting the baby also showed "a little fetal movement." She told police she remained awake for nearly 30 minutes after delivering the baby before losing consciousness on top of him, and that when she woke up, she saw him "turning blue and purple." Investigators also said a search of her phone revealed she had deleted photos and other evidence related to the pregnancy and birth.
Background on the Case
Snelling, a member of the university's STUNT team for three seasons, was arrested days after the baby was found and released on a $100,000 surety bond, after which she returned to live with her parents in her home state of Tennessee. She had previously told investigators she was unaware she was pregnant until shortly before giving birth.
Her attorney, John Baird, said the case was structured to go directly to a grand jury rather than through an initial plea agreement, telling reporters, "This was a case that needed to go straight to the grand jury anyway, as opposed to just entering a plea. The grand jury returned the indictment for first-degree manslaughter, and then they returned and suggested that offer. We accepted."
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