Former UK Cheerleader Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter After Killing Newborn and Bagging Body
Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling pleaded guilty to manslaughter for killing her newborn son and stuffing the corpse in a trash bag.
Laken Snelling, a former University of Kentucky cheerleader now 22, entered a guilty plea on Friday to first-degree manslaughter for the death of her newborn son, whose lifeless body was later found in a black plastic bag inside a closet by her college roommates on Aug. 27, 2025. Earlier, she had been charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant, to which she had pleaded not guilty.
The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office concluded the infant was born alive and died from asphyxia of undetermined means. In court, Snelling acknowledged she "ended" the baby’s life rather than helping it and admitted to bagging the body. A Fayette County grand jury had indicted her on manslaughter charges in March, and prosecutors are recommending a ten-year prison sentence for that count, plus one year each for the other charges.
Why it matters
The case highlights serious legal consequences for newborn concealment and infant homicide, drawing public attention to child-death investigations.
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