Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling has been sentenced to prison.
Snelling, 22, received a 10-year prison sentence Oct. 16 after pleading guilty in August to manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing a birth in connection with the 2025 death of her newborn son.
Once focused on college classes, social activities and training with the University of Kentucky’s elite cheerleading stunt team, Snelling will now serve her sentence within the Kentucky Department of Corrections system.
Laken Snelling Admitted to Ending Baby’s Life in Court
Snelling gave birth to a baby boy during the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 2025. According to an arrest citation obtained by the Lexington Herald Leader, she told investigators that she passed out on top of the infant and awoke to find him “turning blue and purple.”
Authorities said Snelling wrapped the baby in a towel, placed him in a plastic bag and hid the body in her closet. Her roommates later found the baby and called 911.
The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the child had been born alive and died from asphyxia by undetermined means, according to a statement from Lexington police.
Under the terms of her plea agreement, Snelling was required to explain in court what happened that morning.
“I was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly,” she said, according to NBC News. “And instead of helping him, I ended his life. And afterwards I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone.”
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What Was Laken Snelling’s Sentence?
At the Oct. 16 hearing, Snelling was sentenced to 10 years for manslaughter and one year for each of the three additional charges. Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Henderson Baird said the sentences will be served concurrently.
The court also credited Snelling with the 415 days she had already spent under house arrest.
What Happens Next For Laken Snelling?
Baird said Snelling will not be eligible for parole until she has served 85 percent of her sentence under Kentucky’s statutes governing violent offenses.
Following the sentencing, Baird told WHAS 11 that she believed Snelling was remorseful over her son’s death.
“This was an extremely tragic case. The defendant made a very bad decision that resulted in the death of a newborn baby boy (Kade),” Baird told Oxygen. “Kade’s family spoke in court mourning the loss of a son, grandson, and nephew they never got to meet. No sentence the defendant received will take away that hurt and pain, but we hope that the family will now find peace and comfort, and that the defendant will be able to learn from her mistake and become a productive member of society when she is released from custody.”
Oxygen contacted Snelling’s defense attorney for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Snelling will serve her sentence within the Kentucky Department of Corrections, although it remains unclear which facility will house her or whether she has reported to prison.
Oxygen also contacted the Department of Corrections but did not receive an immediate response.
