‘I ended his life’: Ex-University of Kentucky cheerleader drops bombshell confession in newborn baby’s death, changes plea

Laken Snelling, a former University of Kentucky cheerleader who was arrested after her newborn son was found dead in a closet at her home, has pleaded guilty to charges related to the infant’s death.

During a Friday hearing, Snelling pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

‘I deprived him of oxygen.’

WKRC-TV reported, “Prosecutors recommended 10 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter and one year for each of the other three charges.”

The judge has discretion to impose the sentences concurrently or consecutively, according to WKRC.

A Fayette County grand jury indicted Snelling in March.

Snelling, 22, pleaded not guilty to all four charges in April.

The Herald-Leader, citing a police citation, reported that officers were dispatched to Snelling’s Lexington home at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 27, 2025, for a report of a “deceased infant.”

Court documents WKYT-TV obtained said police discovered an infant’s remains wrapped in a trash bag inside a closet at her home.

In a Snapchat group chat that Snelling was part of, her roommates discussed hearing unusual noises on the morning of Aug. 27.

One roommate sent a message around 4 a.m. saying she heard a loud noise that sounded like something had fallen, according to court documents.

Court documents also revealed that a second roommate said she heard the noises as well and noted that the clamor was forceful enough to knock a picture off the wall.

Another roommate said the noises lasted about an hour, according to court docs.

Shortly before 9 a.m. Aug. 27, Snelling sent a message in the group chat stating that the noise was her passing out, court records said.

Court documents added that Snelling told her roommates she hadn’t been feeling well and planned to get examined by a doctor.

The Herald-Leader reported that roommates found “a blood-soaked towel on the floor and a plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth” inside Snelling’s room, the police citation said.

As Blaze News previously reported, Snelling told police she gave birth to a baby around 4 a.m. on Aug. 27, but the infant “fell into the floor of her bedroom.”

According to the affidavit, Snelling informed investigators that she did not believe the baby boy was breathing or alive, and she passed out approximately 30 minutes later.

When Snelling awoke, she “quickly got up” and saw “the baby turning blue and purple,” the affidavit stated.

Snelling said she believed the baby “to be dead and wrapped the baby up like a burrito and laid next to it [on] the floor because it gave her a little comfort in the moment,” court documents said.

The arrest record said Snelling “admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel.”

Snelling, a former University of Kentucky student-athlete, was arrested in August 2025 in connection with her infant’s death.

Snelling, a former STUNT team member of the University of Kentucky, withdrew from the school after her arrest.

RELATED: Mother confesses to killing her newborn because of ‘expenses,’ enlisting daughter to help dispose of baby still crying inside trash bag: Prosecutor

The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined the baby was born alive, and his cause of death was asphyxia by undetermined means.

However, Snelling recently dropped a bombshell court confession about her baby’s death.

“I was under a lot of emotional stress, and my baby came unexpectedly. And instead of helping him, I ended his life. And afterwards, I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone,” a tearful Snelling told Fayette County Circuit Court Judge Diane Minnifield, according to a video of the hearing posted by Court TV.

“I ended his life,” Snelling admitted to the judge.

When asked by Judge Minnifield how she ended his life, Snelling confessed: “I deprived him of oxygen.”

The judge asked Snelling why she was pleading guilty to the tampering of physical evidence charge, and she responded, “I put the towels in a plastic bag.”

Snelling said of the concealing the birth of an infant charge, “I didn’t tell anyone after.”

“It’s very tragic, and it’s very sad, and I hate that we can’t fix that,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Henderson Baird said, according to WLEX-TV. “But we did the best we could. We talked to the family to let them know what the offer was. So there was a lot involved in this case.”

Baird said of Snelling, “I think she has a great deal of remorse.”

Snelling is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 16 for a sentencing hearing.

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