Posted on 08/21/2026 1:14:12 PM PDT by Morgana
A former University of Kentucky student-athlete pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree manslaughter in the death of her infant son, whose body was found inside a trash bag in a closet.
Laken Snelling had initially pleaded not guilty after a grand jury indicted her on several charges, including first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
Snelling, 22, changed her plea to guilty on Friday, NBC affiliate in Lexington, Kentucky, WLEX reported.
Appearing before Fayette County Circuit Court Judge Diane Minnifield, Snelling began crying as she entered her guilty plea.
“I was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly,” Snelling tearfully told the judge. “And instead of helping him, I ended his life. And afterwards I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone.”
When Minnifield asked how she ended his life, Snelling answered, “I deprived him of oxygen.”
When asked about the tampering of physical evidence charge, Snelling replied, “I put the towels in a plastic bag.”
Asked bout the charge of concealing the birth of an infant, Snelling said, “I didn’t tell anyone about it.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
I give her some credit for fully owning up to the crime.
What a terrible tragedy.
You are 100% correct. I do not understand the psychology of these girls and women that can do this. Childless couples desperately want these babies and will give them a loving home. They will even pay hospital associated expenses, pre-natal expenses and post-natal expenses. They as mentioned desperately want those babies.
Yes, she did.
One day she will meet her Maker and she will be asked: "Why did you destroy one of My youngest and most vulnerable?"
There IS no answer.
Have the rabid feminists rallied in support of her yet?
College student - ex college student - it probably wouldn’t have done her any good to stay and complete her education - then or ever. Too dense.. She wasn’t aware of a safe environment for the baby? Why do people like this act like it is a SURPRISE they got pregnant and be so unprepared? Certainly fellow students must have known she was pregnant...
WHY do we have so many questions when we run across stories like this? There aren’t any answers...
To kill a person in anger is a crime we often send people to jail for and sometimes execute particularly if premeditated.
Her crime was premeditated and oddly not in anger least it be toward the newborn. She is young and pretty and most juries would not convict her of first-degree murder with intent and sentence her to death. I could least she be off the scale insane which is most doubtful. That verdict would make me sad but understand its necessity.
PS
My beloved little sister of great IQ was a Bi-Polar Schizophrenic and beautiful like the above lady. She knew what was right and wrong but had no desire for violence against anyone, least it be me when kids but all in fun.
Relative to insanity most insane know what is right and wrong and legal or a crime and know the consequences of crime. If they are not totally devoid of reality and just plain Bat Sh—t crazy they should be prosecuted just like anyone else. MY sister heard voices that were not real but knew they were not real. She killed nobody. The girl in the article killed an innocent and was not crazy. Yes, I could vote for the death penalty. My vote would make me sad.
Non-cynical: Maybe telling the truth is the start of a turnaround
Cynical: She knows they got her and is angling for a lesser sentence
Sometimes I think I’m too cynical. Then I realize I’m not cynical enough.
“Snelling faces up to 10 years in prison on the most serious charge of manslaughter.”
Her child got the death penalty.
Somebody needs to study the rate of mothers killing children before and after easily available abortion, and also look at the rate against the rise of women attending college.
I think people like her should get down on their knees every night and pray there is no Hell.
We know that her child is with our good Lord.
Her crime was premeditated and oddly not in anger least it be toward the newborn. She is young and pretty and most juries would not convict her of first-degree murder with intent and sentence her to death. I could least she be off the scale insane which is most doubtful. That verdict would make me sad but understand its necessity.
PS
My beloved little sister of great IQ was a Bi-Polar Schizophrenic and beautiful like the above lady. She knew what was right and wrong but had no desire for violence against anyone, least it be me when kids but all in fun. Relative to insanity most insane know what is right and wrong and legal or a crime and know the consequences of crime. If they are not totally devoid of reality and just plain Bat Sh—t crazy they should be prosecuted just like anyone else. MY sister heard voices that were not real but knew they were not real. She killed nobody. The girl in the article killed an innocent and was not crazy. Yes, I could vote for the death penalty. My vote would make me sad.
You are right on both points: death penalty and it would make you sad.
My own sister (three years older) died of a brain aneurysm when she was only 37. I still miss her. I live in the same house we grew up in and I am in the same bedroom.
I chose NOT to move into my parent's (both deceased) larger bedroom and closet and feel VERY comfortable in the bedroom she and I shared. It's most comforting for me.
Some people don’t belong in college.
The abortion mommies are already out spinning this one. “If she had been able to get an abortion in KY this never would have happened.” “If she lived in NY this wouldn’t even be a crime” And so forth. Sickening
College is not what it used to be.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.