Former cheerleader and White Pine native pleads guilty to newborn’s death

East Tennessee native and former University of Kentucky student Laken Snelling admitted to smothering her newborn infant in her apartment during a Friday court hearing where she pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Snelling, originally from White Pine, told a judge she deprived the baby boy of oxygen after the child came unexpectedly then placed it into a black plastic bag and stuffed it in her closet. The former cheerleader pleaded guilty to three other charges, including abuse of a corpse.

She will be sentenced on October 16th.