Laken Snelling Gets 10 Years in Newborn Son's Death

A Roommate Discovery Leads to a Prison Sentence

Laken Snelling’s roommates found her newborn son in her bedroom after becoming concerned about what had happened there. More than a year later, the former University of Kentucky student has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his death.

Fayette Circuit Court Judge Diane Minnifield imposed the sentence on October 16. Snelling, 22, had pleaded guilty in August to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.

The baby’s father and relatives addressed the court before Snelling was taken into custody. They spoke about the child they had lost and the birthdays, first steps and other milestones they would never share with him.

Snelling had been a member of Kentucky’s competitive STUNT team. She left the university after her arrest, and the case moved from the initial discovery to medical findings, an additional charge and ultimately her guilty pleas.

Roommates Heard Noises Before Checking the Room

Lexington police were called to the Park Avenue residence on August 27, 2025, after a report of an unresponsive infant. Officers found the baby dead at the scene, and Snelling was arrested four days later.

Court records described exchanges among roommates in a group chat that morning. Around 4 a.m., roommates discussed loud noises from Snelling’s bedroom, including one sound forceful enough to knock a picture from a wall.

Shortly before 9 a.m., Snelling told the group she had passed out and had not been feeling well. She said she intended to seek medical care, according to the search-warrant account reported by LEX 18 and WKYT.

The roommates later entered the room to see what had happened and found the infant. They told investigators they had suspected Snelling might be pregnant but had not confirmed it with her.

Medical examiners determined the baby had been born alive and died from asphyxia by undetermined means. A Fayette County grand jury subsequently added a first-degree manslaughter charge to the case.

She Pleaded Guilty Before Sentencing

Snelling entered her guilty pleas on August 21. During that hearing, she acknowledged concealing the birth, tampering with evidence and causing her son’s death, according to local court coverage.

The judge did not immediately impose punishment at the plea hearing. Court TV reported that Minnifield ordered a presentence investigation before deciding whether to accept the proposed sentencing arrangement.

That investigation described Snelling’s upbringing, education and lack of a prior criminal record. Minnifield discussed those findings in court before imposing the prison terms.

Prosecutors recommended 10 years for manslaughter and one year for each of the other three offenses. The court ordered the terms served concurrently, producing an overall 10-year sentence rather than adding the four terms into a 13-year total.

Neither Snelling nor her attorneys offered a personal statement at sentencing, Court TV reported. An attorney explained that the defense had decided against submitting statements or support letters because it did not want to intensify the publicity surrounding the case.

The Baby’s Relatives Address the Court

The child’s father said the outcome could not change what had happened. Relatives described the baby’s place in their family and the future they had expected him to have.

Minnifield told Snelling that her decisions had affected the child’s paternal relatives as well as her own future. The judge said the family would continue living with the loss, even as Snelling began serving her sentence.

Fayette County Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird said afterward that family members still had questions about why the death occurred. She said a prison sentence could not supply a number of years that would make the loss acceptable to them.

WKYT reported that Snelling receives 415 days of credit for time served while on bond. The station also reported that she is not eligible for probation and must serve 85% of the sentence before qualifying for parole consideration; that eligibility does not guarantee release.

References: Former UK student sentenced for baby’s death following earlier guilty plea | Laken Snelling sentenced to 10 years in infant death case | You’re going to have a lot of time: Judge sends cheerleader to prison for killing newborn found in closet | Ex-Kentucky Cheerleader Laken Snelling, Who Said I Ended His Life After Baby Was Found in Closet, Is Sentenced

The Truth In Facts team was assisted by generative AI technology in creating this content