A former University of Kentucky student has been indicted in Fayette County on a charge of first-degree manslaughter of her baby, as reported by WKYT.
Laken Snelling is also charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
The charges stem from a case in August 2025 when her baby died in a residence on Park Avenue in Lexington, which is close to the University of Kentucky campus. Police were called to a residence on Park Avenue, and when they arrived, they found a baby in a towel in a trash bag in a closet. The baby died at the scene.
According to court documents, Snelling told police that she had given birth to a baby and then placed it in a trash bag in a closet. The baby died, and police charged Snelling with abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. A grand jury decided to indict Snelling on a charge of first-degree manslaughter after it was determined that the baby had been born alive.
The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that the baby died of “asphyxia by undetermined means.”
