Laken Snelling pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge one year after her newborn baby boy's death and revealed some shocking details of the case.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleThe criminal case of former Kentucky University cheerleader Laken Snelling has returned to the spotlight. For context, in August 2025, Laken's newborn baby was found dead, and she was identified as a suspect in the case. A legal case regarding the suspected murder of the infant officially began on August 27, 2025, and after about a year, she reportedly pleaded guilty to the charges related to the death of her baby.
On August 21, 2026, the Laken Snelling case took a shocking turn as she pleaded guilty to charges related to the death of her newborn son. In her latest appearance in Fayette County Circuit Court, she admitted to her crime, changing her previous not-guilty plea. During her plea hearing, the 22-year-old admitted to "ending" the infant's life. She stated that she could have saved her son's life, but instead of helping him, she deprived him of oxygen, leading to his demise.
Laken Snelling stated that she was under immense emotional stress, and amid that came her unplanned pregnancy. She even admitted that she "cleaned up" the scene and tried to cover up her crime. The former Kentucky University student broke down in tears while recalling the horrific incident, claiming that she was not in a right state of mind at that time. Her exact words were:
"I was [under] a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly. And instead of helping it...afterward I cleaned up and didn't help anyone."
Laken did not complete her sentence when speaking about what she did instead of helping her baby. Judge Diane Minnifield prompted her to elaborate, asking, "Tell me, when you said instead of helping him, you did what?" To that, she replied, "I ended his life." The judge wanted to know how exactly Laken Snelling killed the newborn. Diane asked her, "How did you end his life, ma'am?" to which Laken responded, "I deprived him of oxygen."
As for concealing the evidence, Laken confessed to placing the infant's body inside a plastic bag and hiding it in a closet. After the case's hearing, Laken pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. She also gave up her right to trial and witness aid. The official sentencing of Laken Snelling's case is scheduled for October 16, 2026.
Prosecutors in the case are pushing for a 10-year sentence for manslaughter, a one-year sentence for abuse of a corpse, another year for tampering with physical evidence, and a 12-month sentence for concealing the birth of an infant. However, the final verdict will be issued by the Fayette County Circuit Court in the USA after two months.
Laken Snelling was in her early 20s when she got pregnant. She was a student-athlete dealing with the pressures of academics and her cheerleading responsibilities at Kentucky University. Amid that, giving birth to a child reportedly added to her stress. Laken didn't let anyone know about her pregnancy and quietly gave birth alone in her bedroom on August 27, 2025. She hid the fact that she gave birth to a baby boy; however, her roommates grew suspicious.
As per reports, Laken's roommates suspected something was up with her after hearing some strange noises coming from her room during and after the childbirth process. They allegedly went in to check on her, but before that, she had already left the dorm. Following that, the police looked into the matter; her newborn son's body was found, and an investigation began into the case. Recently, she admitted to the charges of killing her child and is awaiting the final verdict of the legal case.
What are your thoughts on Laken Snelling admitting to killing her son a year after his death? Let us know.
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