LEXINGTON, KY. (THECOUNT) — Laken Snelling, 22, a former University of Kentucky student and cheerleader originally from White Pine, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and three other charges in the death of her newborn son in Lexington, Kentucky.
Snelling was sentenced Friday, October 16, 2026, in connection with the infant’s death in August 2025. Her roommates discovered the baby’s body inside a closet at the residence they shared near downtown Lexington.
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In August, Snelling pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. Prosecutors had recommended a total of 13 years in prison, including 10 years for manslaughter and an additional year for each of the other offenses.
During her guilty plea, Snelling acknowledged depriving the infant of oxygen. She told the court she had been under significant stress and that the baby’s arrival was unexpected. She said, “Instead of helping him, I ended his life.”
The case began on August 27, 2025, when Lexington police were dispatched to a residence in the 400 block of Park Avenue for a report of an unresponsive infant. Officers found the baby boy dead inside a closet, wrapped in a towel and placed in a trash bag.
According to court records cited by local news outlets, Snelling’s roommates had heard unusual noises coming from her room during the early morning hours. One roommate described hearing a loud noise around 4 a.m., while another said it sounded forceful enough to knock a picture from the wall. The noises reportedly continued for about an hour.
Later that morning, Snelling sent a message to a group chat saying she had passed out and was not feeling well. After she left the residence, her roommates became concerned and entered her room. They found evidence of childbirth and the infant’s body, then contacted authorities.
The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the infant had been born alive and listed the cause of death as asphyxia by undetermined means, according to Lexington police and court-related reporting.
Snelling was arrested in August 2025 and initially faced charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. A Fayette County grand jury indicted her on those charges and first-degree manslaughter in March 2026.
Snelling had initially pleaded not guilty before reaching the plea agreement. The agreement resolved the case without a trial, and she admitted her role in the infant’s death during the court proceeding.
Lexington is in Fayette County in central Kentucky, within the Lexington metropolitan area. The incident occurred at a residence in the 400 block of Park Avenue, near downtown Lexington. Google Maps — approximate area; exact residence not identified
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