Summary (tl;dr)

Former University of Kentucky student Laken Snelling has pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the death of her newborn son, whose body was discovered in a trash bag in her apartment closet in August 2025.

Essential Background

In August 2025, police responded to an off-campus apartment in Lexington, Kentucky, where they found a deceased newborn infant wrapped in a towel inside a trash bag in a closet. The infant was identified as the son of Laken Snelling, a University of Kentucky student and cheerleader. Snelling initially faced charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, to which she pleaded not guilty.

The Full Story

On August 21, 2026, Laken Snelling, now 22, altered her plea to guilty for first-degree manslaughter in connection with her infant son's death. This change in plea follows a March 2026 indictment by a Fayette County grand jury, which added the manslaughter charge after a second autopsy determined the baby was born alive and died due to asphyxiation. Prosecutors have recommended a 10-year prison sentence for the manslaughter charge, along with one-year terms for the other three charges, with the judge deferring a sentencing decision pending a pre-sentence investigation.

Why It Matters

This case has drawn significant public attention and sparked discussions around pregnancy, childbirth, and criminal law, particularly concerning infant deaths and the legal responsibilities of parents. The evolving charges, from concealing a birth to manslaughter, underscore the complex legal and ethical considerations involved when an infant's death is investigated, especially when evidence suggests the baby was born alive.

Geographic Location

• Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, United States (discovery of infant in apartment, court proceedings)