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Cheerleader sentenced for newborn's death
16 Oct
Summary
- Laken Snelling received a 10-year prison sentence.
- Her newborn died from asphyxiation in August 2025.
- Snelling pleaded guilty to manslaughter and other charges.
Laken Snelling, 22, formerly of the University of Kentucky cheerleading team, received a 10-year prison sentence on October 16, 2026. This follows her guilty plea to charges including manslaughter in the death of her newborn child. The infant was discovered in August 2025, wrapped in a towel within a trash bag concealed in Snelling's closet.
According to police, the baby's death was attributed to asphyxiation. Snelling admitted in court that she "ended his life" and "deprived him of oxygen." The charges she pleaded guilty to in August 2026 also included abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. Snelling had withdrawn from the University of Kentucky shortly after her arrest.
