Laken Snelling, ex-Kentucky student whose infant was found dead in closet, pleads guilty to manslaughter

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 corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.

Snelling changed her plea to guilty on Friday, NBC affiliate in Lexington, Kentucky, WLEX reported.

Officers responded to a residence on Aug. 27 for a report of an unresponsive infant, according to a press release from the city of Lexington.

The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined the baby was born alive and his cause of death to be “asphyxia by undetermined means.”

Police said Snelling hid her dead infant, found wrapped in a towel, inside a black trash bag in a closet.

The former member of the university’s STUNT team allegedly told police that she tried to conceal the evidence of giving birth from her roommates, a police citation stated.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.