Laken Snelling, a former University of Kentucky cheerleader, admitted guilt on Friday morning to manslaughter charges regarding the tragic death of her newborn son. The young mother was accused of placing her deceased child in a trash bag.
At 22, Snelling originally faced charges including abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the birth of her baby. She had pleaded not guilty to these allegations back in April of last year.
The incident came to light on August 27, 2025, when Lexington police arrived at an off-campus residence. Snelling’s college roommates had made the grim discovery: the newborn was found unresponsive in a black plastic bag stored in a closet.
Following the investigation, the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that the infant had been born alive but died from asphyxia by unclear causes. This led to a grand jury’s indictment of Snelling on first-degree manslaughter charges in March.
During an interview with authorities, Snelling initially told them that her baby had fallen to the floor after birth. She stated she believed at the time that the child was not “breathing or alive.”
However, her story soon changed, claiming instead she had passed out “on top of the baby” and woke up to find him “turning blue and purple.”
In court this week, Snelling finally admitted to “ending” the baby’s life “instead of helping him” and copped to putting the infant in a plastic bag, WKYT reported.
Prosecutors have recommended a 10-year prison term for manslaughter, and one year each for abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.