Former University of Kentucky Student Pleads Guilty in Her Newborn Son’s Death

A former University of Kentucky student has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and three related charges in the death of her newborn son, resolving the central question of guilt while leaving sentencing to a judge.

Laken Snelling entered the plea Friday in Lexington, according to WKYT’s report published Monday. She also pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.

The 2025 discovery

Lexington police were called to a Park Avenue home in August 2025 after Snelling’s roommates found an unresponsive newborn in a closet and called authorities. Police said the infant had been wrapped in a towel and placed inside a trash bag. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the child was born alive and ruled the cause of death asphyxia by undetermined means, WKYT reported.

Snelling, who was 21 at the time, was arrested four days after the discovery. She was then a University of Kentucky senior and a member of the school’s STUNT team, a separate program from the cheerleading squad.

What she told the court

During the plea hearing, the judge asked Snelling to explain her conduct. She said the baby arrived unexpectedly while she was under significant emotional stress and acknowledged that she did not seek help. She also admitted placing towels in a plastic bag and not telling anyone about the birth.

The judge accepted the plea. Snelling had previously pleaded not guilty after a March indictment.

Sentencing comes next

Prosecutors recommended 10 years for manslaughter and one year for each of the other three counts. The judge is not bound to accept that recommendation. WKYT reported that Snelling would be able to withdraw her plea if the court imposes a sentence greater than the agreed recommendations.

This is no longer an allegation about whether Snelling committed the offenses covered by the plea; she admitted guilt in court. The precise punishment remains unresolved until sentencing. The child is not being named here. The facts are severe enough without turning his death into spectacle.