A Kentucky grand jury added manslaughter to the charges against a former University of Kentucky student accused in the death of her newborn, who was found dead in a trashbag in her closet last August.
Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird told WKYT the grand jury considered multiple options for Laken Snelling before settling on manslaughter.
“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.
Snelling, from Tennessee, was a member of the university’s STUNT team, which incorporates athletic and technical components of cheerleading and gymnastics, and withdrew from the school after her arrest on charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, as CrimeOnline reported.
She was not charged directly with the death of her son at that time.
She was a senior studying interdisciplinary disability and has participated in beauty pageants back in Tennessee, serving as Jefferson County’s Fairest of the Fair in 2023. Her social media includes continued connection to pageants in Jefferson County.
A 911 call came in on August 27 reporting an unresponsive baby that was “cold to the touch.” Snelling was not home when investigators found the dead infant, wrapped in a towel and stuffed into a trash bag in her closet. Police found her about an hour later. She reportedly admitted giving birth and then cleaning up the scene; the dead infant was found next to cleaning supplies in the closet.
Snelling was charged in September and released to house arrest on a $100,000 bond.
According to WLKY, the state Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the baby boy was born alive and died from asphyxia by undetermined means. Court records say Snelling didn’t believe the baby was breathing after she gave birth and she passed out on top of him. When she recovered, he was definitely blue and not breathing.
She later told hospital staff that the infant displayed some fetal movement before she passed out on him, including a “whimper.” Court records also say a search of Snelling’s phone found searches about pregnancy and photos of her during labor. Some of those photos were deleted, the affidavit said.
Baird told WKYT that Snelling’s next court appearance would come in the next few weeks.
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[Featured image: Laken Snelling/Lexington Police Department]
