University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling ADMITS manslaughter of baby son who was found stuffed in trash bag in closet

By JOE HUTCHISON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:52, 21 August 2026 | Updated: 18:59, 21 August 2026 A former University of Kentucky cheerleader has admitted to first-degree manslaughter in the death of her baby son who was found inside a trash bag in a closet. Laken Snelling, 22, initially pleaded not guilty after being indicted on several charges after being arrested last August.  WLEX reported that she has now changed her plea to guilty, and cried in court as she entered the plea.  According to the outlet, her attorneys reached out to prosecutors about a possible plea agreement that was accepted.  The 22-year-old initially pleaded not guilty after being indicted on several charges after being arrested last August As part of the deal, Snelling had to tell the court exactly what happened and admitted to Judge Diane Minnifield that she concealed the birth and tampered with evidence.  Through tears, she told the courtroom: '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.' Judge Minnifield asked her how she ended the baby's life, to which she responded: 'I deprived him of oxygen.'  The judge accepted the plea and set a sentencing hearing for October, Snelling faces up to 10 years behind bars on the manslaughter charge alone.  The agreement also saw her plead guilty to charges including abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.   This is a breaking news story.