Former Kentucky cheerleader faces charges in baby’s death
Former University of Kentucky cheer athlete Laken Snelling is facing a manslaughter case following the death of her newborn son. Fox News contributor Donna Rotunno discussed the case, along with a separate Georgia case involving a teenager charged in the death of his teacher.
A former University of Kentucky student-athlete has admitted guilt in connection with the death of her infant son, whose body was discovered inside a trash bag tucked away in a closet.
Laken Snelling, 22, who competed on the university’s STUNT team, had first entered a not-guilty plea before reversing course Friday in the newborn death case, FOX 56 reported. A Fayette County grand jury indicted her on multiple counts, including abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
“I was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly,” Snelling told the court through tears. “And instead of helping him, I ended his life and afterward I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone.”
Laken Snelling was accused of hiding her deceased newborn in a closet. (Getty Images/Fayette County Detention Center)
Judge Diane Minnifield then asked Snelling to explain how she caused the baby’s death. Snelling replied, “I deprived him of oxygen.”
Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird said Snelling’s defense lawyer contacted prosecutors after the direction of the case shifted.
“This was a case that needed to go straight to the grand jury anyway, as opposed to just entering a plea,” Baird said, according to the outlet. “The grand jury returned the indictment for first-degree manslaughter, and then they returned and suggested that offer. We accepted.”
Officers in Lexington responded to reports of an unresponsive infant on Aug. 27, 2025, and found the child’s remains inside a black trash bag, according to a news release from the city of Lexington. The baby’s body was cold.
Laken Snelling, 22, a former University of Kentucky student, has pleaded guilty in connection with the death of her newborn, who was found dead inside a trash bag in a closet. (Laken Snelling/Facebook and Fayette County Detention Center)
Snelling was arrested days later. She told staff at the University of Kentucky hospital that she heard the newborn “whimper” at birth and “guessed” he was alive, according to an affidavit previously cited by FOX 56.
The baby also showed “a little fetal movement,” the court document stated. Snelling told investigators that she was awake for 30 minutes after giving birth before passing out on top of the baby. When she woke up, she saw the newborn “turning blue and purple,” court documents state.
She believed the baby was dead, so she “wrapped him like a burrito” and laid next to him, saying it “gave her comfort,” officials said. At some point, she told her roommates that she was going to see a doctor because she had fainted from not eating.
School officials confirmed Laken Snelling was a senior at the University of Kentucky. (Getty Images)
Afterward, she picked up McDonald’s and went to the student health clinic but “did not go inside,” the affidavit stated.
A subsequent search of Snelling’s phone revealed she had deleted labor photos and evidence of the pregnancy, police said.
Snelling faces up to 10 years in prison.
News Outlet has reached out to Snelling’s attorney and the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for comment.
