Laken Snelling, a 22-year old former student and cheerleader at the University of Kentucky, was indicted on a first-degree manslaughter charge for the death of her newborn baby boy.
Snelling was already charged with a plethora of charges after the police found a newborn’s body in her closet in August. Those were abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
The infant was found wrapped in a towel, inside a trash bag, after Snelling’s roommates reported hearing strange noises and seeing blood in her off-campus apartment. The police listed “asphyxia by undetermined means” as the cause of death after an autopsy, which led to the grand jury’s decision to add the more serious manslaughter charge.
Of the decision to add the charge, the Fayette Commonwealth Attorney, Kimberly Baird, said:
“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.”
Laken Snelling’s Baby Boy’s Unique and Horrifying birth
Under interrogation, Snelling admitted to the authorities that she gave birth alone and fell asleep alongside the newborn. She later placed the baby and the placenta in a trash bag and attempted to clean the scene, according to court documentation.
Almost immediately after being arrested, she waived her Miranda rights and gave a detailed account of the baby’s birth to the authorities. Recounting how she fell asleep on top of the baby, and how the newborn fell to the floor.
She initially omitted to mention anything regarding having asphyxiated the baby, and the initial autopsy was inconclusive.
She had been concealing her pregnancy while leading a regular student life at Lexington. During Halloween 2024, photos released by the New York Post show her dressed up as a pregnant woman for the holiday.
She was eventually released into house arrest at her father’s home in Tennessee on a bond. She has since withdrawn from the University of Kentucky, and could face 10 to 20 years in prison under Kentucky law if convicted of first-degree manslaughter.
Laken Snelling was initially allowed to split her time between her father’s and mother’s house, but a month into pre-trial proceedings, those privileges were revoked. She has since been ordered to wear a GPS tracker ankle monitor.
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