Secret Birth Horror: Kentucky Cheerleader Slapped With New Charges | Laken Snelling

Seven months after the initial discovery, a grand jury indicted Leaken Snelling on a first-degree manslaughter charge. This new charge carries a potential sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison in Kentucky. The indictment language includes intent to cause serious physical injury or death, or intentionally abusing the infant under circumstances not constituting murder, possibly due to extreme emotional disturbance.

The indictment was reported on March 10th, 2026, with an arrest warrant issued on March 11th, adding to previous charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.

The baby's autopsy report concluded that the infant was born alive and died of asphyxia. However, the exact means of asphyxiation could not be determined by medical examiners. This ambiguity is a critical factor, as proving a specific cause of death and linking it directly to the defendant's actions is essential for conviction.

The baby's autopsy report determined the infant's cause of death was 'asphyxia by undetermined means.' Snelling herself told medical staff the baby showed 'a little fetal movement' and made a 'whimper' after birth.

Snelling's defense will likely argue that her passing out on the baby was involuntary, potentially due to the trauma of an unassisted birth and a medically low hemoglobin level, which can cause lightheadedness and fainting. This could counter claims of intent or recklessness, framing the death as an tragic accident.

Snelling claimed she passed out about 30 minutes after giving birth, landing on the baby. Her roommates confirmed hearing loud noises at 4 AM. Medical evaluation after her arrest revealed low hemoglobin requiring a blood transfusion, a condition known to cause fainting. The host emphasizes the extreme difficulty of unassisted childbirth for a young, uninformed individual.

The prosecution faces significant hurdles in proving intent for manslaughter, especially with an 'undetermined means' of asphyxia. They must convince a jury that Snelling's actions during the 30 minutes post-birth (not calling for help) and her subsequent actions (cleaning up, deleting phone data, going to McDonald's) demonstrate criminal negligence or intent, despite the traumatic circumstances.

Snelling admitted to being awake for 30 minutes post-birth before passing out, during which she did not call 911 or alert roommates despite her phone being present. Deleted pregnancy searches and photos 'during labor' from her phone are cited as attempts to conceal the birth. The host and guest discuss how a defense attorney could argue these points, making a conviction challenging.