Former Beauty Queen Laken Snelling Indicted for Manslaughter After Newborn Found in Trash Bag

Former beauty queen Laken Snelling faces manslaughter charges after an autopsy reveals her newborn was born alive before being found in a Lexington closet.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 11, 2026, 11:36 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from PEOPLE

A Sudden Escalation of Felony Charges

The legal jeopardy for Laken Snelling has intensified significantly following a Wednesday announcement from the Lexington Police Department. A Fayette County grand jury transitioned the case from a death investigation into a homicide prosecution by voting to indict the 22-year-old on a charge of first-degree manslaughter. This development adds a substantial prison sentence threat to the former beauty queen and University of Kentucky student, who was previously facing only lower-level charges related to the disposal of the infant’s body. Under Kentucky statutes, a conviction for first-degree manslaughter carries a potential term of 10 to 20 years.

Medical Evidence of a Live Birth

The grand jury’s decision hinged primarily on new forensic data provided by the medical examiner’s office. While initial reports were inconclusive, a finalized autopsy determined that the infant was born alive before suffering "asphyxia by undetermined means." This medical finding directly contradicts any potential defense that the child was stillborn, placing the legal focus squarely on the events that occurred in the hours following the birth. The discovery of the infant wrapped in a towel and concealed within a trash bag inside a closet provided investigators with the physical evidence necessary to allege a deliberate attempt to hide the child’s existence.

The Timeline of a Hidden Pregnancy

The details surrounding the birth on August 27, 2025, paint a disturbing picture of a concealed pregnancy and a solitary delivery. According to police affidavits, Snelling claimed she gave birth at 4 a.m. on her bedroom floor and fell asleep on top of the child for an undisclosed period. Upon waking to find the infant "turning blue and purple," she reportedly wrapped the newborn in a towel for "comfort" before going back to sleep until her morning alarm. Perhaps most striking to investigators was that Snelling proceeded to attend her university classes later that day, leaving the deceased infant in the closet while she navigated a normal campus routine.