Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling has reported to jail.
Snelling, a former member of the University of Kentucky’s elite stunt squad, is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
The 22-year-old was sentenced Oct. 16 to 10 years in prison for manslaughter. She also received one-year sentences for each of the other charges, but Fayette Commonwealth Attorney Kimberly Baird told Oxygen that all of the sentences will run concurrently.
Snelling reported to the Fayette County Detention Center on the same day as her sentencing.
Morgan Hall, director of Justice and Public Safety Communications, told Oxygen that state law generally requires state prisoners to be moved to a state correctional facility within 45 days of sentencing.
“Once Laken Snelling is transferred to the Assessment Center at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women,” Hall said, “she will be evaluated to determine her custody level, medical and mental health needs, and programming needs before being recommended for placement at a permanent facility.”
When Will Laken Snelling Be Released From Prison?
Kentucky offender records reviewed by Oxygen show that Snelling received 415 days of credit for time already served under house arrest. She is currently expected to remain incarcerated until Aug. 20, 2035.
She may become eligible for parole as early as Feb. 21, 2034.
The records also indicate that Snelling could earn additional credit for good behavior, completing programs or participating in the prison system’s work-for-time program.
What Was Laken Snelling Convicted Of?
Snelling was attending the University of Kentucky when she gave birth to a baby boy during the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 2025, at her off-campus home.
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After Snelling left the residence, concerned roommates entered her room and found the dead infant wrapped in a towel and concealed inside a closet. They then called 911.
The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that the infant had been born alive and died from “asphyxia by undetermined means,” according to a statement released by Lexington police.
Under the terms of her plea agreement, Snelling was required to explain to the court what happened that morning.
“I was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly,” she said, according to NBC News. “And instead of helping him, I ended his life. And afterwards I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone.”
Father of Laken Snelling’s Baby Speaks Out in Court
The baby’s father, Izaiah Hall, never had the opportunity to meet his son, who was named McCoy Cade Hall.
“I don’t wish the worst on Laken. What happened … it is what it is. I can’t change it,” Hall said during the sentencing, according to People. “My family can’t change it. It hurts in a way that’s unexplainable.”
Hall’s mother also delivered an emotional statement to the court.
“You imagine birthdays, holidays, first steps, first words, laughter, hugs, kisses and all the little moments that become lifelong memories,” she said. “For Cade, those possibilities were taken away before he ever had the chance to experience them.”
Baird called the case “extremely tragic.”
“The defendant made a very bad decision that resulted in the death of a newborn baby boy,” she told Oxygen. “No sentence the defendant received will take away that hurt and pain, but we hope that the family will now find peace and comfort, and that the defendant will be able to learn from her mistake and become a productive member of society when she is released from custody.”