Former University of Kentucky Student Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Infant Son's Death
Laken Snelling, a former University of Kentucky student-athlete, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of her infant son. The infant's body was discovered in a trash bag inside a closet. Snelling, 22, initially pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. However, she changed her plea to guilty during a court appearance before Fayette County Circuit Court Judge Diane Minnifield. Snelling tearfully admitted to the judge that she was under significant emotional stress, and her baby arrived unexpectedly. She stated, 'Instead of helping him, I ended his life,' and later clarified that she deprived the infant of oxygen. She also admitted to cleaning up afterward and not informing anyone, as well as placing towels in a plastic bag and not disclosing the birth. 
