Laken Snelling Pleads Not Guilty to Killing Her Newborn Baby
Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling pleaded not guilty Friday to first-degree manslaughter in the death of her newborn son, whose body was found in a trash bag in her closet.
Snelling, 22, appeared in a Lexington courtroom dressed in a blue floor-length dress and flanked by her attorneys. She did not speak during the brief hearing.
The judge addressed her directly, saying, “Ms. Snelling, you are currently out on a posted bond. Continue to comply with the terms of your bond conditions. No further violations of the law.”
A Fayette County grand jury indicted Snelling on March 10 on charges of first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the cause of death as “asphyxia by undetermined means.”
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Court records indicate the infant was alive and appeared full-term at birth in August 2025. Snelling told authorities she gave birth alone around 4 a.m. in her bedroom. She admitted she initially guessed the baby was alive, describing “a little bit of fetal movement” and a “whimper.”
She later claimed she fell asleep on the infant, woke to find him turning blue and purple, wrapped him in a towel along with the placenta, and placed everything in a black trash bag in her closet. She also admitted to cleaning evidence to conceal the birth.
Roommates discovered a blood-soaked towel and the plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth on August 27, 2025.
A third party later called 911 after finding the infant cold to the touch in the closet.
The manslaughter charge alleges Snelling “intentionally abused the infant and thereby caused death to a person twelve (12) years of age or less, or who is physically helpless or mentally helpless,” while acting under extreme emotional disturbance.
Snelling was initially arrested in late August 2025 and released on bond with house arrest and a GPS monitor.
She was taken into custody again in March 2026 after the new indictment; her father posted a $10,000 bond, and she was released from the Fayette County Detention Center on March 12.
Snelling is a former competitive cheerleader and member of the University of Kentucky’s STUNT team.
A pretrial conference is scheduled for May 14, and a status hearing for June 12.
First-degree manslaughter is a Class B felony in Kentucky, punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison.
The case highlights the tragic loss of a newborn life that medical evidence and court documents indicate was born alive and viable.
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