Former UK student indicted in connection with baby’s death
A former UK student charged in her baby’s death has been indicted.
Laken Snelling is accused of hiding the birth and putting the baby’s body in a closet.
On Monday a Fayette County grand jury indicted Snelling on the charges of:
First-degree manslaughter
Abuse of a corpse
Tampering with physical evidence
Concealing the birth of an infant.
The manslaughter charge was added by the convening Grand Jury.
Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird spoke with WKYT about the options put before the grand jury.
“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,” said Baird.
Baird says Snelling’s next appearance in court will likely come within the next two to three weeks.
Background on Snelling case
The case began on August 20 of 2025 when Lexington Police were called to Park Avenue for an unresponsive infant. The baby boy was pronounced dead at the scene. Court records say the child was found wrapped in a towel, inside a trash bag, in a closet.
Snelling was arrested four days later and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
Laken Snelling, 22(Lexington Police Department)
At the time of her arrest, a UK spokesperson confirmed Snelling was a senior at the university and a member of the stunt team. She has since withdrawn from the school.
Snelling’s case was sent to the grand jury in September 2025. Since then, she has been on house arrest in Tennessee.
During the investigation, the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined Infant Snelling was born alive and his cause of death to be asphyxia by undetermined means.
Former UK student indicted for manslaughter in death of infant
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.
Former UK student now charged with manslaughter; autopsy shows baby was born alive
A former University of Kentucky student charged after her newborn baby died is now facing a manslaughter charge.
Laken Snelling, 21, was arrested in August 2025 after her infant was found dead in the 400 block of Park Avenue in Lexington.
Snelling was originally charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
After further investigation, the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s office determined the baby was born alive and his cause of death was asphyxia by undetermined means.
On Tuesday, Snelling was indicted for first-degree manslaughter, in addition to the previous charges. The new charge was added by the convening grand jury.
Court records say Snelling told police she did not believe the baby was breathing after giving birth and she passed out on top of the child.
Snelling then said she wrapped the baby in a towel before later placing the body in a trash bag and putting it in a closet.
She withdrew from UK shortly after her arrest. She has been on house arrested at her parents’ home in Tennessee.
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