Laken Snelling, ex-University of Kentucky student, pleads guilty to death of baby found dead in closet

A former University of Kentucky student-athlete has pleaded guilty to charges related to the death of her infant son, who was found inside a trash bag in a closet.

Laken Snelling, 22, a member of the university's STUNT team, initially pleaded not guilty before changing her plea on Friday in connection with her newborn's death, FOX 56 reported.

She was indicted by a Fayette County grand jury and faced a slew of charges, including abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.

"I was under a lot of emotional stress and my baby came unexpectedly," Snelling said while crying in court.

"And instead of helping him, I ended his life and afterward I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone." AUTOPSY RESULTS DEEPEN MYSTERY OF INFANT ALLEGEDLY FOUND DEAD IN UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY ATHLETE'S CLOSET When asked by Judge Diane Minnifield how she ended the baby's life, Snelling said: "I deprived him of oxygen." Commonwealth's attorney Kimberly Baird said that Snelling’s attorney approached prosecutors as plans changed.

ATTORNEY WHO DEFENDED DC SNIPER SAYS KOHBERGER FACES 'MONUMENTAL UPHILL BATTLE' UNDOING GUILTY PLEA "This was a case that needed to go straight to the grand jury anyway, as opposed to just entering a plea ," Baird said, according to the news outlet.

"The grand jury returned the indictment for first-degree manslaughter, and then they returned and suggested that offer.

We accepted." Officers in Lexington responded to reports of an unresponsive infant on Aug.

27, 2024, and found the child's remains inside a black trash bag, according to a news release from the city of Lexington.

The baby's body was cold.

KENTUCKY COLLEGE ATHLETE ACCUSED OF HIDING DEAD BABY IN CLOSET WAS ‘SERIAL BULLY,’ FORMER CLASSMATE SAYS Snelling was arrested days later.

She told staff at the University of Kentucky hospital that she heard the newborn "whimper" at birth and "guessed" he was alive, according to an affidavit previously cited by FOX 56.

The baby also showed "a little fetal movement," the court document stated.

Snelling told investigators that she was awake for 30 minutes after giving birth before passing out on top of the baby.