Laken Snelling — a University of Kentucky cheerleader who was arrested in August of 2025 after authorities found a baby boy who had been wrapped in a "blood-soaked" towel, placed in a trash bag, and hidden inside a closet in her bedroom — has now pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges for his death.

Key Takeaways:

• Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling, who was arrested last year when authorities found the deceased body of a baby in her bedroom closet, has finally pleaded guilty to manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.

• Snelling originally misled authorities into believing the baby boy's death was entirely accidental; however, she later admitted to health personnel that she believed she heard him "whimper." She originally pleaded not guilty to first-degree manslaughter and then admitted to ending his baby's life by "depriv[ing] him of oxygen."

• Prosecutors are seeking a 10-year sentence for manslaughter and one year each for the remaining three charges. Snelling is set to be sentenced October 16.

The Details:

The New York Post reports:

After initially pleading not guilty to first-degree manslaughter in April, an emotional Snelling finally admitted to “ending” her baby’s life in a Kentucky courtroom Friday morning.

Snelling, now 22, also pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.

Snelling reportedly told the court that she "was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly," and that "instead of helping him I ended his life and afterwards I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone." She told Judge Diane Minnifield that she killed him by “depriv[ing] him of oxygen.”

As Live Action News previously reported, the child's autopsy revealed that he was born alive and that the cause of death was "asphyxia by undetermined means."

The Post noted:

In an interview with police, Snelling, who has been free on $100,000 bond since her arrest last year, initially claimed the baby had fallen on the floor after she gave birth, but she didn’t think he was “breathing or alive.”

However, her story soon changed, claiming instead she had passed out “on top of the baby” and woke up to find him “turning blue and purple.”

She later told medical staff that the newborn had shown “a little bit of fetal movement” and made a “whimper” after being born, court documents state.

At first, it was speculated that this was a case of "self-managed abortion." However, it is now clear that the infant was born alive and then deliberately killed.

The Post added that "Prosecutors have recommended a 10-year prison term for manslaughter, and one year each for abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant," and Snelling is set to be sentenced on October 16.

The Backstory:

On August 27, 2025, "concerned roommates" contacted authorities "after they found blood in her room after hearing her make odd noises earlier that day," as Live Action News previously noted. Snelling was not home when authorities arrived and found a black trash bag in her bedroom closet, which contained a "blood soaked" towel with the baby boy's body wrapped inside.

According to the post-arrest complaint, 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...." The complaint added that "the listed suspect treated the corpse in a way that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities."

In March of this year, a grand jury indicted Snelling on charges of manslaughter in the first degree, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.

Live Action News reported at the time:

The jury wrote, "She intentionally abused the infant and thereby caused death to a person twelve (12) years of age or less, or who is physically helpless or mentally helpless."

She is not charged with murder, the grand jury explained, because she acted under "extreme emotional disturbance" — meaning they didn't feel that Snelling had reasonable self-control.

The Bottom Line:

Though pro-abortion pundits attempted to make this crime about abortion, it may be -- just not in the way they originally thought. Though Snelling didn't attempt a "self-managed abortion" as some suggested, she killed her newborn just after his birth.

Laken Snelling's baby boy was the exact same human after his birth as he was prior to it. There is no justification for killing him either before birth or after. He had the same inherent right to life, from the moment of his existence at fertilization, simply by virtue of being a human.

Had Snelling chosen abortion earlier in pregnancy, this very same child would be dead, yet much of society would claim it was her protected "right" to end his life.

This is nonsensical. All human beings, in or out of the womb, deserve to be treated as irreplaceable, valuable human beings and protected by law.