Former University of Kentucky student indicted on manslaughter charge in death of infant
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A Fayette County Grand Jury has indicted a former UK student on multiple charges, including first-degree manslaughter, in connection with the death of an infant discovered last year.
According to the Lexington Police Department, officers were dispatched around 10:30 a.m. on August 27, 2025, to a residence in the 400 block of Park Avenue for a report of an unresponsive infant. When officers arrived, they located the infant, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say Laken Snelling, the infant’s mother, was previously arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
During the investigation, the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined the infant had been born alive. Officials ruled the cause of death as asphyxia by undetermined means.
On March 10, 2026, a Fayette County Grand Jury indicted Snelling on charges of first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. Investigators say the manslaughter charge was added by the grand jury.
Authorities say the investigation involved the Lexington Police Department, the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office, the Fayette County Coroner’s Office, and the Kentucky State Police Forensic Laboratory.
