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Laken Snelling Case

Police responded to a residence near the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington at around 10:30 am on August 27, 2025, after they got calls about an unresponsive child.

The child was in a closet and “wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag”. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to reports, 21-year-old Laken Snelling admitted to being the baby’s mother.

The UK student was arrested on August 31, 2025, and charged with:

• Abuse of a Corpse
• Tampering with Physical Evidence
• Concealing the Birth of an Infant.

At that time, the coroner has listed the child’s death as “currently undetermined”.

She went to court and pleaded not guilty to the charges against her. She was released on a $100,000 bond and was ordered to live with her parents under house arrested in Tennessee.

Later, the medical examiner determined the child was born alive and died via asphyxiation by undetermined means.

Grand Jury Adds an Additional Charge

According to WKYT, the case went before a grand jury September 2025.. After hearing details of the case, they had four different levels of homicide they could choose from and decided on a first-degree manslaughter indictment.

The NYPost reported that she was rearrested on March 12th, 2026, but got out after her father paid $10,000 bond.

If she is convicted of first-degree manslaughter, she could face between 10 to 20 years. The other three charges could add more time to her sentence.

Many thought she should have been indicted on murder charges, but the grand jury felt she was acting under what Kentucky law calls “extreme emotional disturbance,” which affected her judgment.

The child’s cause of death was ruled undetermined by the medical examiner, and that also played a role in the lesser charges.

Plea Agreement