Joe Yates
Warning: This article contains discussion of baby loss which some readers may find distressing.
A major update has emerged in the case of former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling, after she was indicted on a first-degree manslaughter charge over the death of her newborn son.
The 21-year-old was indicted by a Fayette County grand jury yesterday (March 10). Until then, Snelling had already been facing three separate counts - abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
The manslaughter charge followed a report from the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office, which found the baby was born alive and that the cause of death was asphyxia.
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Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird said that finding was crucial in helping prosecutors secure the indictment from the grand jury.
"They were given the 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," Baird told WKYT.
The case dates back to late August, when police were called to an off-campus apartment in Lexington after reports of an unresponsive infant.
Officers later discovered the newborn in a closet, with investigators alleging the baby had been wrapped and concealed after the birth.
People, citing police affidavits, reports Snelling told authorities the baby 'fell on the floor of her bedroom' as she gave birth, and that 30 minutes later she fell 'on top of the baby and [went] back to sleep'. When she woke up, the baby was 'turning blue and purple', and she tried to provide 'comfort'.
She then wrapped the baby in a towel, cleaned up the blood and the afterbirth and placed everything - including the baby - in a trash bag in her closet.
Her roommates, meanwhile, called 911 after hearing unusual noises coming from her room around the time of the birth, before finding blood there.
Snelling left the house, intending to go to class, but said she felt unwell and ordered McDonald's instead. When she returned home, police were waiting and she was arrested.
The affidavit continues: "A search warrant of Mis Snelling's phone resulted in locating several searches, including different things pertaining to pregnancy and different hashtags for different weeks of being pregnant on social media."
Police also claim they found photos Snelling took of herself in labour on her phone, which she had gone on to delete.
Snelling has pleaded not guilty to the original charges brought against her in 2025.
Following the investigation, she withdrew from the University of Kentucky and is no longer part of the school’s STUNT team - for those unaware, STUNT is a new female sport that incorporates skills derived from cheerleading.
She is understood to have been under home incarceration in Tennessee since last year while the case moved through court.
If she is convicted on the first-degree manslaughter charge, Snelling would face between 10 to 20 years in prison.
Snelling is expected back in court within the next few weeks.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.