LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A former UK student charged in her baby’s death has been indicted.
Laken Snelling is accused of hiding the birth and putting the baby’s body in a closet.
On Monday a Fayette County grand jury indicted Snelling on the charges of:
- First-degree manslaughter
- Abuse of a corpse
- Tampering with physical evidence
- Concealing the birth of an infant.
The manslaughter charge was added by the convening Grand Jury.
Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird spoke with WKYT about the options put before the grand jury.
“They were given the information about homicide, the four levels of homicide and then deliberated and decided that manslaughter first degree was the charge that should come out of the grand jury,” said Baird.
Baird says Snelling’s next appearance in court will likely come within the next two to three weeks.
Background on Snelling case
The case began on August 20 of 2025 when Lexington Police were called to Park Avenue for an unresponsive infant. The baby boy was pronounced dead at the scene. Court records say the child was found wrapped in a towel, inside a trash bag, in a closet.
Snelling was arrested four days later and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
At the time of her arrest, a UK spokesperson confirmed Snelling was a senior at the university and a member of the stunt team. She has since withdrawn from the school.
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Snelling’s case was sent to the grand jury in September 2025. Since then, she has been on house arrest in Tennessee.
During the investigation, the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined Infant Snelling was born alive and his cause of death to be asphyxia by undetermined means.
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