Warning: This article contains discussion of baby loss which some readers may find distressing.
There has been a significant development in the case involving former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling, who has now been indicted on a first-degree manslaughter charge following the death of her newborn son.
The 21-year-old was indicted by a Fayette County grand jury yesterday (March 10). Prior to that decision, Snelling was already facing three charges: abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
The additional manslaughter count comes after the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office issued findings that the baby was born alive, and that the cause of death was asphyxia.
Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird said the medical examiner’s conclusion played a key role in the grand jury’s decision.
“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,” Baird told WKYT.
The investigation stems from an incident in late August, when officers responded to an off-campus apartment in Lexington after receiving a report about an infant who was not responding.
Police later located the newborn inside a closet. Investigators have alleged the baby was wrapped up and hidden following the birth.
In earlier accounts of the case, Snelling’s roommates told police they believed she had concealed her pregnancy for some time and later delivered the baby in her bedroom.
They also reported hearing strange sounds from her room around the time they believe the birth occurred, before the situation was discovered.
Authorities have previously claimed Snelling cleaned the bedroom after giving birth and left the apartment, later returning, at which point she was arrested.
Snelling has pleaded not guilty to the initial charges filed against her in 2025.
After the case was opened, she withdrew from the University of Kentucky and is no longer involved with the school’s STUNT team. STUNT is a women’s sport that draws on cheerleading-based techniques and routines.
It is understood Snelling has been on home incarceration in Tennessee since last year as the proceedings continued.
If convicted of first-degree manslaughter, she could receive a prison sentence ranging from 10 to 20 years.
She is expected to return to court in the coming weeks.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.