Cheerleader sentenced to 10 years for killing newborn son

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 19:08 · Archive

Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling, 22, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing her newborn son.

Laken Snelling, 22, a former University of Kentucky cheerleader, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter and related charges. The sentencing came after she admitted to depriving her newborn son of oxygen. She was arrested in August 2025 after the baby boy was found wrapped in a blood-soaked towel and a trash bag in her college dorm room. According to the outlets, Snelling initially pleaded not guilty but later accepted a plea deal. The New York Post reports that the body was found stuffed in a trash bag, whilst the Daily Mail states it was also hidden in a closet.

At the August plea hearing, Snelling told the court: '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 baby boy was named McCoy Cade Hall. During sentencing, the court heard from family members expressing their grief. A relative told the judge: 'As a grandparent, you imagine the memories you'll make with your grandchildren.' She spoke of missing out on 'first words, kisses, and all the little moments that become lifelong memories.'

Prosecutors had recommended a 10-year prison term for manslaughter. Snelling was also convicted of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. She will be eligible for parole after serving 85 per cent of her sentence but is not eligible for probation. Judge Diane Minnifield delivered the sentence at Fayette Circuit Court in October 2026.

How it is being reported

• Former University of Kentucky cheerleader sentenced to 10 years in prison for infant's deathLaken Snelling told the court she "deprived him of oxygen" after her baby came unexpectedly, revealing the emotional moment behind her guilty plea.Fox News · 16 Oct, 19:45
• Cheerleader Laken Snelling who killed her newborn then hid body in closet is sentenced to 10 years in prisonFormer University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling, 22, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter.Daily Mail · 16 Oct, 18:56
• Cheerleader Laken Snelling learns her fate after killing newborn son found stuffed in trash bagA former University of Kentucky cheerleader who admitted to killing her newborn son, whose lifeless body was found stuffed in a trash bag, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.New York Post · 16 Oct, 15:09

In this story: Laken Snelling · McCoy Cade Hall · University of Kentucky · Fayette Circuit Court · Judge Diane Minnifield · Kentucky

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem