Crime & JusticeBreaking
Former University of Kentucky cheerleader sentenced to 10 years over newborn's death
By Mantle News
Coverage spectrum
Covered by 3 outlets, all right-leaning.
3 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias
Breitbart News, The Western Journal and TheBlaze report that Laken Snelling, 22, a former University of Kentucky cheerleader, was sentenced on Friday to ten years in prison in Fayette Circuit Court. Snelling pleaded guilty in August to first-degree manslaughter, concealing the birth of an infant, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse. The outlets report that she told the court, “Instead of helping him, I ended his life.” The Western Journal reports that prosecutors had suggested the 10-year term under a plea agreement. The judge ruled that she is not eligible for probation. The outlets report that the baby, named McCoy Cade Hall, died in August 2025, and that his family said the loss was devastating.
Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works
What happened
Key points
Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.
A court sentenced Laken Snelling to ten years in prison on a Friday.
One side only: the rightReported byFar Right3See the outletsHide the outlets
- Far Right
- Breitbart News, The Western Journal, TheBlaze
Snelling pleaded guilty in August to first-degree manslaughter, concealing the birth of an infant, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse.
One side only: the rightReported byFar Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
- Far Right
- Breitbart News, The Western Journal
The judge ruled that Snelling is not eligible for probation because the offense is a crime of violence.
One outletTheBlaze· Far Right
Prosecutors had suggested the ten-year term under the plea agreement.
One outletThe Western Journal· Far Right
Police were called to a Lexington residence in August 2025 and found the infant dead.
One outletThe Western Journal· Far Right
How each side tells it
Compare views
All three articles report that Laken Snelling, a former University of Kentucky cheerleader, was sentenced to ten years for her newborn son's death after pleading guilty. The coverage comes from the right side only, and it stresses the crime's details and the victim.
the left
No coverage yet
No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the center
No coverage yet
No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the right
3 outlets
Headlines lead with the sentence and the guilty plea, and the Far Right outlets stress the grim details of the death and the victim, with TheBlaze adding the judge and family reaction.
Cheerleader Laken Snelling Sentenced to 10 Years for Killing Newborn Baby, Stuffing Him in Trash Bag
Breitbart NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines
The words they chose
Language to notice
Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.
Left
Has not covered this story.
Center
Has not covered this story.
Right2
Suffocatedbrutal
In the outlets’ own words
Absolutist framing
SuffocatedMore neutral: Former Cheerleader Sentenced in Newborn’s Death
The autopsy listed the cause of death as asphyxia with undetermined means, so the headline states a cause the coverage does not establish.
Kentucky Cheerleader Who Suffocated Her Newborn Learns Her Fate in Court
Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)
Sensational language
brutalMore neutral: firm
The word adds a judgement about the judge’s remarks that the report does not need to convey the sentence.
…cheerleader who admitted killing her newborn baby learns fate — judge delivers brutal reality check
Used byTheBlaze (Far Right)
See for yourself
Side by side
What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.
From the left
0 outletsNo left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
From the center
0 outletsNo center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
From the right
3 outletsLeads with
- the ten-year sentence
- the death of the newborn
- the guilty plea
- the judge and the family's grief
See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
- TheBlazeFar Right
Ex-University of Kentucky cheerleader who admitted killing her newborn baby learns fate — judge delivers Sensational language“brutal”The word adds a judgement about the judge’s remarks that the report does not need to convey the sentence.More neutral: firmDisagree with this highlight? reality check
A former University of Kentucky cheerleader who admitted to killing her newborn son has been sentenced — and the family of the deceased infant is wondering what the future could have held for the baby. …
- The Western JournalFar Right
Kentucky Cheerleader Who Absolutist framing“Suffocated”The autopsy listed the cause of death as asphyxia with undetermined means, so the headline states a cause the coverage does not establish.More neutral: Former Cheerleader Sentenced in Newborn’s DeathDisagree with this highlight? Her Newborn Learns Her Fate in Court
A former University of Kentucky cheerleader who pleaded guilty to killing her newborn son was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison. Laken Snelling admitted in Fayette Circuit Court on
- Breitbart NewsFar Right
Cheerleader Laken Snelling Sentenced to 10 Years for Killing Newborn Baby, Stuffing Him in Trash Bag
Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling was sentenced on Friday to ten years in prison for killing her newborn son and stuffing him in a trash bag.
Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?
The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.
Who reported it when
How the coverage built up
Left
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Center
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Right
First to report
Breitbart News, Oct 18, 6:52 PM EDT
See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
- Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 18, 6:52 PM EDT
- The Western JournalFar RightOct 19, 11:54 AM EDT
- TheBlazeFar RightOct 19, 3:00 PM EDT
Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.
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