A former University of Kentucky athlete now faces serious legal charges following a grim discovery last year. Laken Snelling, a 21-year-old who was part of the university’s stunt team, has been indicted on a first-degree manslaughter charge along with other felonies after her newborn son was found deceased in a closet.
The Lexington Police Department took Snelling into custody on August 31. Authorities were initially called to a scene on August 20 concerning an unresponsive infant. Upon arrival, they discovered the newborn, wrapped in a towel and placed inside a black trash bag, had already passed away.
In a significant turn of events, the grand jury chose to indict Snelling on manslaughter charges. Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird explained to WKYT, “They were given information about homicide, the four levels of homicide, and then deliberated and decided that manslaughter, first degree, was the charge that should come out of the grand jury.”
According to an affidavit reported by FOX56, Snelling informed staff at the University of Kentucky hospital that she had heard her newborn “whimper” and assumed he was alive. The court documents also indicated there was “a little fetal movement” detected at the time of birth.
This tragic case continues to unfold as the legal proceedings progress, casting a somber shadow over the university community and raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the baby’s birth and untimely death.
Snelling 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 FOX56. The baby also showed “a little fetal movement,” the court document stated.
Snelling allegedly told police she was awake for nearly 30 minutes after delivering the baby before passing out on top of him. When she woke up, she saw the newborn “turning blue and purple,” according to the affidavit.
School officials confirmed Laken Snelling was a senior at the University of Kentucky. (Getty Images)
On Monday, a Fayette County grand jury indicted Snelling on first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant, WKYT reported.
Police found the infant inside a trash bag in a closet and cold to the touch, court records said. Snelling believed the baby was dead and “wrapped him like a burrito” and lay next to him, saying it “gave her comfort,” officials said.
Her roommates texted each other after hearing loud noises, according to the affidavit. Snelling allegedly told them she was going to see a doctor because she had fainted from not eating. 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.
Police took snelling into custody on Aug. 31. (Laken Snelling/Facebook and Fayette County Detention Center)
Snelling was initially charged with tampering with physical evidence, concealing the birth of an infant and abuse of a corpse. She has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
At the time of her arrest, a UK spokesperson confirmed Snelling was a senior at the university, WKYT reported.
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