Laken Snelling, a former student-athlete at the University of Kentucky, has pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of her newborn son. The infant was discovered in a trash bag inside a closet in Lexington.
Snelling, 22, changed her plea on Friday after initially pleading not guilty to charges including abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. She was indicted by a Fayette County grand jury.
In court, Snelling stated, "I was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly. And instead of helping him, I ended his life and afterward I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone." When asked by Judge Diane Minnifield how she ended the baby's life, Snelling responded, "I deprived him of oxygen."
Commonwealth's attorney Kimberly Baird indicated that Snelling's attorney approached prosecutors regarding a plea offer. The grand jury had initially indicted Snelling for first-degree manslaughter, and the prosecution accepted the suggested offer.
Police responded to reports of an unresponsive infant on August 27, 2024, and found the child's remains. According to a news release from the city of Lexington, the baby's body was cold.
Snelling was arrested days later. An affidavit previously cited by FOX 56 states that Snelling told University of Kentucky hospital staff she heard the newborn whimper at birth and assumed he was alive. Court documents indicated the baby also showed fetal movement. Snelling told investigators she was awake for approximately 30 minutes after giving birth before passing out on top of the baby. Upon waking, she observed the newborn turning blue and purple.
Believing the baby was dead, Snelling wrapped him and laid next to him, stating it provided comfort. She later informed her roommates she was going to see a doctor due to fainting from not eating. The affidavit states she picked up food and went to the student health clinic but did not enter the facility.
Investigators found that Snelling had deleted labor photos and evidence of her pregnancy from her phone. She faces up to 10 years in prison.