Kentucky Stunt Team Student Pleads Guilty in Son's Death

A former University of Kentucky student-athlete has pleaded guilty regarding the death of her infant son, who was discovered inside a trash bag within a closet. Laken Snelling, 22 years old and part of the university's STUNT team, initially entered a not guilty plea before switching to guilty on Friday as FOX 56 reported. She faced indictment from a Fayette County grand jury with multiple charges including abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing an infant birth.

"I was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly," Snelling stated while crying in the courtroom. "And instead of helping him, I ended his life and afterward I cleaned up and didn't tell anyone." When Judge Diane Minnifield asked how she caused the death, Snelling replied that she deprived him of oxygen.

Commonwealth's attorney Kimberly Baird noted that Snelling's lawyer approached prosecutors as the situation shifted. "This was a case that needed to go straight to the grand jury anyway, as opposed to just entering a plea," Baird told the news outlet regarding their decision process. The grand jury returned an indictment for first-degree manslaughter before suggesting an offer they accepted.

Lexington officers responded to reports of an unresponsive infant on August 27, 2025 and found the child's remains inside a black trash bag according to a city release. The baby's body was cold when found. Snelling was arrested days later after telling hospital staff she heard the newborn whimper at birth and guessed he was alive based on an affidavit cited by FOX 56.

The court document stated the baby showed some fetal movement. Snelling told investigators she stayed awake for thirty minutes after giving birth before passing out directly on top of him. When she woke up she saw the newborn turning blue and purple according to official records. She believed the baby was dead so she wrapped him like a burrito and laid next to him which officials said gave her comfort.

At one point she told roommates she would see a doctor because she had fainted from not eating. Afterward she picked up McDonald's and went to the student health clinic but did not go inside as the affidavit stated. A subsequent search of Snelling's phone revealed she deleted labor photos and pregnancy evidence police said.

Snelling faces up to ten years in prison. Fox News Digital has contacted Snelling's attorney and the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for comment on this developing story.