Woman pleads guilty to manslaughter in infant death case
Woman pleads guilty to first-degree manslaughter in infant death; sentencing scheduled for October 16.
Event / Security
Laken Snelling Manslaughter Case
Former University of Kentucky STUNT team member Laken Snelling pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the death of her newborn son discovered in a trash bag in August 2025. She also pleaded guilty to abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing birth. Sentencing scheduled for October 16.
1 reported locations
Daily activity
1 articles0 articles
2026-08-22 to 2026-11-09 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 22 Aug, 03:52 UTC
Follow the documented timeline or explore the related reporting.
What happened
Snelling indicted on multiple charges including abuse of corpse and tampering with evidence
A Fayette County grand jury indicted Snelling on several charges including first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. She initially pleaded not guilty before changing her plea to guilty when her attorney approached prosecutors.
Infant found dead in trash bag in University of Kentucky student's closet
Police in Lexington responded on August 27, 2025, to reports of an unresponsive infant and found a newborn baby's body wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag hidden in a closet at a residence. The Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office determined the baby was born alive and died of asphyxia by undetermined means.
Laken Snelling pleads guilty to first-degree manslaughter in infant death
Laken Snelling, a 22-year-old former University of Kentucky STUNT team member, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on Friday in connection with the death of her newborn son. She admitted in court that she deprived the baby of oxygen, stating she was under emotional stress when the baby came unexpectedly and that instead of helping him, she ended his life and then cleaned up without telling anyone.
Snelling admits to passing out on newborn and finding him with signs of asphyxia
Snelling told investigators she was awake for 30 minutes after giving birth before passing out on top of the baby. When she woke up, she saw the newborn turning blue and purple. She believed the baby was dead, wrapped him like a burrito, and laid next to him, saying it gave her comfort. She later told hospital staff the baby made a whimper at birth and showed a little fetal movement.
Snelling deleted evidence of pregnancy from phone to conceal birth
A search of Snelling's phone revealed she had deleted labor photos and evidence of the pregnancy. She initially told her roommates she was going to see a doctor because she had fainted from not eating, then picked up McDonald's and went to the student health clinic but did not go inside.
Snelling faces up to 10 years in prison; sentencing scheduled for October 16
Snelling faces up to 10 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter and one year each for the other charges. Prosecutors have recommended at least ten years behind bars. She has been free on $100,000 bond since her arrest. Sentencing is scheduled for October 16.
Read the coverage
2 alternative perspectives