A former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling, 22, pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree manslaughter in the death of her newborn son, whose body was found hidden in a closet on her off-campus apartment.
Snelling admitted in court that she deprived her infant of oxygen and concealed his birth, as part of a plea agreement that resolved multiple charges. The plea was entered before Judge Diane Minnifield in Fayette County Circuit Court, with sentencing scheduled for October 2024. She faces up to 10 years in prison on the manslaughter charge alone, in addition to penalties for abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
Core Facts of the Plea Agreement
Snelling’s attorneys negotiated a plea deal with prosecutors, which required her to provide a detailed account of the events in open court. According to court records, she stated through tears that she was under ‘a lot of emotional stress’ when her baby was born unexpectedly. She admitted: ‘Instead of helping him, I ended his life. And afterwards I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone.’
When asked by the judge how she ended the baby’s life, Snelling responded: ‘I deprived him of oxygen.’ The plea agreement also included her admission to concealing the birth, tampering with evidence, and disposing of the infant’s body in a black plastic trash bag inside a closet.
Discovery and Autopsy Findings
The case began on August 27, 2024, when Snelling’s roommates discovered the baby’s body wrapped in a towel and hidden in a closet. Police were called after they reported finding a blood-soaked towel on the floor and a plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth.
The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined the baby was born alive and died due to ‘asphyxia by undetermined means.’ The report did not specify whether the cause of death was intentional or accidental, though Snelling’s admission in court indicated she took actions that led to the infant’s death.
Legal Proceedings and Timeline
Snelling was first indicted in August 2024 after her arrest. She initially pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. The grand jury’s indictment followed an investigation into the discovery of the infant’s body.
During the plea hearing, Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird stated that the case was presented to the grand jury, which returned the indictment for first-degree manslaughter. Baird noted that the plea agreement was reached after Snelling’s legal team approached prosecutors to discuss terms.
Snelling’s Statements and Contradictions
In her courtroom testimony, Snelling provided conflicting accounts of the events. Initially, she told police the baby ‘fell on the floor after she gave birth’ and she did not believe he was breathing. She later changed her story, claiming she ‘passed out on top of her son’ and woke to find him ‘turning blue and purple.’
At the hospital, Snelling reportedly told staff that the newborn ‘whimpered’ after birth and showed ‘a little bit of movement,’ suggesting he was alive at the time of delivery. These inconsistencies were not addressed in the plea agreement, which focused on her admission of depriving the infant of oxygen.
Background on the Defendant
Snelling was a member of the University of Kentucky’s STUNT team, a competitive cheerleading squad. Prior to her arrest, she had no known criminal record. The case has drawn significant attention due to the nature of the charges and the defendant’s background as a student-athlete.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 2024, where the judge will determine the final penalties based on the plea agreement and any additional factors presented by the prosecution or defense.