Laken Snelling walks out during her preliminary hearing on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, at Fayette County District Court in Lexington, Ky.
Former University of Kentucky student Laken Snelling has been indicted for first-degree manslaughter in the death of her baby.
On March 9, the Fayette County grand jury indicted Snelling on charges of manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
Snelling was arrested in August 2025 after an infant was found in a trash bag in her closet, according to Kentucky Kernel reporting.
The infant male was discovered by police on Aug. 27, 2025. He was pronounced dead, and a press release was sent by police identifying Snelling as his mother.
Snelling first appeared in court on Sept. 2, 2025, where she pled not guilty to tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and concealing the birth of an infant.
The grand jury added manslaughter as a charge.
Snelling waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Sept. 26, 2025, according to Kernel reporting, moving the case to a grand jury.
More information on this story can be found at kykernel.com.
HUGE UPDATE!!!
A Fayette County grand jury has indicted Laken Snelling in connection with the death of her newborn child, according to a news release from the Lexington Police Department.
Snelling faces a first-degree manslaughter charge, along with additional charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
The manslaughter indictment came after the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined the baby was born alive and died from “asphyxia by undetermined means.”
If convicted of first-degree manslaughter in Kentucky, Snelling could face significant prison time, as the charge is considered a Class B felony, which carries a potential sentence of 10 to 20 years.
The case will now proceed through the Fayette County court system, where prosecutors will present evidence and the defense will have the opportunity to respond to the allegations.
BACKSTORY:
A 21-year old University of Kentucky identified as Laken Snelling is facing charges of concealing the birth of an infant, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse after roommates found a deceased newborn in her closet.
At 10:34 a.m., on August 27, police responded to Snelling’s residence after her roommates, suspicious about her pregnancy, entered her room and discovered blood-soaked towels and a bag containing the deceased newborn they described as “cold to the touch.”
According to records (previously posted), Snelling told police she gave birth around 4 a.m. on Aug. 27. She claimed the baby fell to the floor, and she didn’t think he was “breathing or alive.” Around the same time, one of her roommates messaged in their group chat that she heard a loud noise. Another roommate told police the noises lasted about an hour.
Snelling told the police that she was “awake for around 30 minutes after giving birth before falling on top of the baby.” When she woke up, she got up and noticed “the baby turning blue and purple.” She said she believed him to be dead and “wrapped the baby up like a burrito and laid next to it” because it “gave her a little comfort in the moment,” the affidavit stated.
Snelling claimed she woke up at 7:30 am and went to the kitchen to get a trash bag. She then took a shower and cleaned her room. At 8:48, she responded to the group chat and told her roommates the loud noises was her passing out because she hadn’t eaten yet.
She then left for 9:30 class but didn’t attend. Instead, she ordered food on the McDonalds app, picked it up, and sat in her car for a while before going to the UK’s student clinic but decided not to go in.
Snelling was detained shortly after but asked to be medically evaluated, so she was transported to the hospital.
Snelling told hospital staff that her baby showed “a little bit of fetal movement” at birth, let out a “whimper,” and that she “guessed” he was alive. An affidavit filed Sept. 4 by Lexington PD states the newborn appeared to be full term.
Search warrant affidavits filed Sept. 4 and 8 show investigators seized her phone and sought access to her Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and a shared iCloud account with her mother. Police reported finding deleted photos of Snelling during labor, searches related to pregnancy, and evidence of what they described as a concealed pregnancy. Investigators said the deletions appeared to be an attempt to hide the birth.
Snelling posted a $100,000 bond and has been living with her father in Tennessee. She was initially able to go between his house and her mom’s, but that was later stopped. While serving this home incarceration, she doesn’t have to wear GPS monitoring.
Shortly after bonding out, she withdrew from the University of Kentucky. She would have graduated in May, 2026.
An autopsy performed on her newborn son came back inconclusive, so the cause and manner of death has yet to be determined. A statement given by the medical examiner stated extensive microscopic analyses will need to be done. The results are still pending.
At a hearing in September, Snelling waived her right to a preliminary hearing, and the case was sent to a grand jury.
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