Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree manslaughter and other charges in connection with the death of her newborn son, whose body was found in a trash bag. Snelling, 22, also admitted to abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
An emotional Snelling told a Kentucky courtroom that she "ended" her baby's life. When asked by Judge Diane Minnifield how she ended his life, Snelling stated, "I deprived him of oxygen."
Snelling's college roommates discovered the baby boy in a black plastic bag in a closet at an off-campus home on Aug. 27, 2025. They also found a blood-soaked towel and a plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth in Snelling's room, according to 911 call logs. Snelling confessed to placing the towels in a plastic bag after the birth.
Prosecutors have recommended a 10-year prison term for the manslaughter charge, with one-year sentences for each of the other charges. Snelling is scheduled to be sentenced on October 16.
Snelling initially pleaded not guilty to first-degree manslaughter in April. She told authorities that the baby was unexpectedly born and that she was under significant emotional stress. She admitted in court that she did not tell anyone about the birth. Court documents indicate that Snelling took and then deleted photos while in labor in an attempt to hide the birth.
The Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office determined that the baby was born alive and died of asphyxia by undetermined means. Snelling had previously offered conflicting accounts to police and medical staff, initially claiming the baby fell and she did not believe it was alive, then stating she fell on the baby and found him turning blue. Later, she told medical staff the newborn had shown fetal movement and made a whimper after birth.
Snelling has been free on $100,000 bond since her arrest last year. She was indicted by a Fayette County Grand Jury on March 10, 2026.