Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling has finally admitted what really happened to her newborn son, nearly a year after his body was found hidden inside a closet.
The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to manslaughter and three other charges in a Kentucky courtroom on Friday, August 21.
Her admission came after she had previously pleaded not guilty and given police different accounts of the baby’s passing.
Highlights
- Laken Snelling pleaded guilty to manslaughter and three other charges nearly a year after her newborn son was found lifeless inside a closet.
- The former University of Kentucky cheerleader admitted in court that she “deprived him of oxygen.”
- Prosecutors recommended a 10-year prison sentence for manslaughter.
“I was under a lot of emotional stress, and my baby came unexpectedly,” Snelling told the judge through tears.
Laken Snelling finally confessed what happened to her newborn baby found in a hidden closet
The case began on August 27, 2025, when Lexington police were called to Snelling’s off-campus home after her roommates found an unresponsive newborn, as reported by Bored Panda.
The roommates had noticed unusual noises coming from Snelling’s bedroom earlier that morning.
One roommate later told police the noise sounded like something had fallen, while another said the sounds continued for about an hour.
At around 9 a.m., Snelling reportedly told them she had passed out and was feeling unwell.
After Snelling left the home, her roommates entered her bedroom. They found a “blood-soaked towel on the floor” and a plastic bag containing what appeared to be evidence of childbirth.
The newborn was later found wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag in a closet.
According to the information given to the 911 operator, the baby was cold to the touch.
The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that the baby had been born alive and passed away from “asphyxia by undetermined means.”
After Snelling was arrested, she repeatedly changed her statements to the police
Snelling initially denied unintentionally k*lling her son. During an interview with police, she first said the baby had fallen onto the floor after she gave birth and that she did not think he was “breathing or alive.”
She later gave authorities another explanation, saying she had passed out “on top of the baby” and woke up to find him “turning blue and purple.”
Court documents also said Snelling later told medical staff that the newborn showed a “little bit of fetal movement” and made a “whisper” after birth.
Her account changed again when she appeared in court on Friday.
Asked by Judge Diane Minnifield how she ended the baby’s life, Snelling answered, “I deprived him of oxygen.”
She also admitted that she did not tell anyone about the birth.
“I put the towels in a plastic bag,” she said when asked what she did with the items after giving birth.
Snelling pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, a*use of a c*rpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
According to the information from the case, Snelling left the home after giving birth at her apartment
Snelling gave birth at around 4 a.m. on August 27, 2025.
Her roommates had apparently suspected that she might be pregnant, but they said they never directly asked her about it.
After giving birth, Snelling cleaned the blood from the room, showered, and left the home. She skipped her morning classes and a planned clinic visit. She also went to McDonald's.
Police later learned that she had taken several photographs while she was in labor. Investigators said she deleted the photographs in an attempt to hide the birth.
Snelling also admitted to wrapping the newborn in towels and placing him inside a black trash bag.
In an earlier police interview, she reportedly described wrapping the baby “like a burrito” and lying next to his body because it “gave her a little comfort in the moment.”
Police said the placenta and other material connected to the birth were also placed in bags.
The case became more complicated because of Snelling’s changing explanations about how the baby passed away.
The medical examiner’s conclusion that the baby had been born alive became a major part of the later manslaughter case.
In March 2026, a Fayette County grand jury indicted Snelling on first-degree manslaughter.
At that point, she faced a possible maximum sentence of 20 years for the manslaughter charge, in addition to the other charges.
During a recent guilty plea, Snelling shared she was under emotional stress
In Friday’s plea, Snelling gave the clearest explanation she has publicly provided about what happened.
“I was under a lot of emotional stress, and my baby came unexpectedly,” she said while crying.
She then admitted that instead of seeking help, she “ended his life and afterward I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone.”
Her statement differed from the accounts she gave investigators after the baby was discovered.
Moreover, her roommates played a key role in the case as they discovered what had happened after she left the apartment.
Their discovery led to the 911 call and police response. Investigators then questioned Snelling after she returned.
Also, her apartment provided evidence, including a towel, bags, and other material connected to childbirth.
In March 2026, Snelling pleaded not guilty, remained free on a $100,000 bond, and lived under house arrest with her parents in Tennessee.
After Snelling’s guilty plea, prosecutors recommended 10 years in prison for manslaughter, along with one year each for a*use of a c*rpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
Snelling is scheduled to be sentenced on October 16.
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