Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with the death of her newborn baby.
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Snelling was indicted on manslaughter and three other charges in March before pleading guilty in August. The case dates back to August 2025, when her roommates reportedly heard loud noises coming from her closet and contacted authorities.
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When officers arrived, they found the newborn inside the closet, wrapped in a trash bag. The baby was cold to the touch.
According to a statement from Lexington police, the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the infant had been born alive and died from asphyxiation.
During the court proceedings, Judge Diane Minnifield asked Snelling how she had ended the infant’s life. She responded, “I deprived him of oxygen.”
Snelling became emotional as she addressed the court, explaining the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“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.”
In addition to the manslaughter charge, Snelling pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
Following her arrest, Snelling reportedly told investigators that she remained awake for about 30 minutes after giving birth before passing out on top of the baby.
Court documents stated that when she regained consciousness, she noticed the infant was “turning blue and purple.”
Investigators also discovered that Snelling had deleted photographs of her labour from her phone, along with other evidence relating to her pregnancy, according to court documents.