Kentucky Court Hands Down Sentence After Newborn’s Death

Clear Facts

• Laken Snelling, 22, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
• The Fayette Circuit Court sentenced her to 10 years for manslaughter and one year for each additional charge, all served concurrently.
• The Kentucky Medical Examiner ruled the infant was born alive and died from asphyxia by undetermined means.

Snelling admitted in court that she ended her son’s life after he was born unexpectedly and under emotional stress. She also stated she cleaned up afterward and told no one about the birth.

Roommates heard unusual noises around 4 a.m. in August 2025 and later discovered the infant’s body wrapped in a towel inside a trash bag in her closet. They immediately called police.

Former Kentucky cheerleader has pleaded guilty to killing her newborn baby and stuffing him in a trash bag in her closet, claims she was under “emotional stress.”

22-year-old Laken Snelling has admitted to killing her newborn baby by “depriving him of oxygen.”

“I was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly… And instead of helping him I ended his life and afterwards I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone,” she said in court.

She has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.

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“I was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly,”

“And instead of helping him, I ended his life and afterwards I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone.”

The medical examiner confirmed the child, named McCoy Cade Hall, was born alive. The grand jury indicted Snelling on first-degree manslaughter, and she later changed her plea from not guilty to guilty.

Relatives expressed the loss of future memories with the child, including first words, kisses, and everyday moments they had anticipated.

“As a grandparent, you imagine the memories you’ll make with your grandchildren.”

“You look forward to watching them grow and seeing the person they become.”

“For Cade, those possibilities were taken away before he ever had the chance to experience them.”

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