Former University of Kentucky Cheerleader Sentenced to 10 Years in Infant Death Case

Laken Snelling, a former University of Kentucky cheerleader, was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the death of her infant child, local media reported.

Snelling was indicted in March on the manslaughter charge and three additional counts. She entered guilty pleas to the charges in August.

Lexington police arrested Snelling in August 2025 after her roommates reported hearing loud noises from her closet. Officers who responded found the infant cold to the touch, wrapped in a trash bag inside the closet, according to a statement from the city of Lexington.

The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the infant was born alive and died from asphyxiation, according to the Lexington statement. When Judge Diane Minnifield asked Snelling how she caused the infant’s death, she responded, “I deprived him of oxygen.”

Speaking through tears in court, Snelling said she had been under significant emotional strain when the baby arrived unexpectedly. “And instead of helping him, I ended his life and afterward I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone,” she said.

Along with first-degree manslaughter, Snelling pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.

CONTINUE READING: Hero Oregon Dad Who Stopped School Shooter Was Just Driving By

Snelling, who was a senior at the time, told investigators that she remained awake for about 30 minutes after giving birth before passing out on top of the baby.

After waking, she said she saw the infant “turning blue and purple,” court documents state.

Court documents also say investigators discovered that Snelling had deleted photos of her labor from her phone, along with other evidence related to her pregnancy.