Laken Snelling sentenced to 10 years for death of newborn son

Laken Snelling, a 22-year-old former University of Kentucky cheerleader and beauty queen, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the death of her newborn son. The sentencing took place on Friday, October 16, in a Fayette Circuit Court in Lexington, Kentucky.

Snelling pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. During her plea, she admitted to depriving the infant of oxygen, stating, “I was under much emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly. And instead of helping him... I ended his life.”

The incident was discovered on August 27, 2025, when Snelling’s roommates found the infant, later identified as McCoy Cade Hall, deceased inside a trash bag in a closet at their off-campus residence. Investigators determined the baby had been born alive and died of asphyxiation.

While prosecutors had recommended a 13-year sentence, the judge imposed 10 years. Snelling is not eligible for probation but may apply for parole after serving 85% of her sentence.