Former UK Cheerleader Sentenced for Infant’s Death

Laken Snelling, a former cheerleader for the University of Kentucky, received a 10-year prison sentence on Friday after being found guilty of first-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of her newborn child, according to local reports.

In March, Snelling was indicted on manslaughter and three additional charges and later pleaded guilty in August.

Police in Lexington arrested Snelling in August 2025 after her roommates reported loud noises from her closet. When officers arrived, they discovered the infant cold to the touch and wrapped in a trash bag within the closet, as detailed in a statement from the city of Lexington.

The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the infant was born alive, with asphyxiation being the cause of death. During the court proceedings, Judge Diane Minnifield asked Snelling how the infant died, to which she responded, “I deprived him of oxygen.”

Snelling tearfully recounted in court, “I was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly. And instead of helping him, I ended his life and afterward I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone.”

Along with manslaughter, Snelling faced additional charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.

At the time of the incident, Snelling was a senior. She told investigators she was awake for about half an hour after giving birth but then passed out on the baby. Upon waking, she reportedly saw the infant “turning blue and purple,” according to court documents.

Investigators discovered that Snelling had deleted photos related to her labor from her phone, further complicating the case.