A former University of Kentucky cheerleader stood in a Lexington courtroom Friday. Laken Snelling, 22, received a 10-year prison sentence.
She pleaded guilty in August to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. The charges relate to the death of her newborn son last year.
The baby was found dead inside a closet at a home near downtown Lexington in late August 2025. Snelling’s roommates called police after becoming concerned.
At her plea hearing Snelling said the birth was unexpected and she had been under significant stress. She told the judge she ended the infant’s life.
Prosecutors recommended 13 years. The court imposed 10 years on the main charge and concurrent time on the rest.
Snelling had been a student and athlete at the university. She withdrew after the arrest. The case moved from the first charges in 2025 to a grand jury indictment in March 2026.
She changed her plea from not guilty to guilty under an agreement that avoided a full trial. The sentence was handed down in Fayette County on October 16, 2026.
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