Jayden Spicer: Mother arrested after he was found dead – What you need to know
Jayden Spicer and his mother, Felicia Gross
The search for 10-year-old Jayden Spicer ended in tragedy when authorities discovered his body in a shallow grave off Canoe Road in Jackson, Kentucky, on Tuesday afternoon. The shocking twist came as his mother, 33-year-old Felicia Gross, was arrested shortly after the grim discovery.
Kentucky State Police confirmed that new leads directed investigators to the site, bringing a weeklong, multi-agency search to a heartbreaking close. The case has now shifted from a missing child investigation to a criminal proceeding centered on the boy’s mother.
Felicia Gross Faces Multiple Criminal Charges
Authorities wasted no time in filing charges against Gross. She is accused of second-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and falsely reporting an incident. She is currently being held at the Kentucky River Regional Jail.
According to police, the charges stem from both the circumstances of Jayden’s death and alleged actions Gross took afterward, including misleading investigators. Jayden’s remains have been sent to the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Frankfort for an autopsy, which may shed more light on his cause of death.
This arrest has sent shockwaves through Breathitt County, where many residents joined in the search believing Gross’s initial account of her son’s disappearance.
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A Massive Search Effort with a Tragic Ending
Jayden Spicer was reported missing on August 5, last seen wearing blue “Sonic the Hedgehog” pajamas near his home on Panbowl Branch Road. In the days that followed, KSP, local agencies, K-9 teams, drones, and sonar scanners combed dense woods, creeks, and ponds.
For nearly a week, volunteers and law enforcement worked tirelessly under difficult conditions. But the breakthrough only came when investigators acted on newly uncovered information, leading them to the burial site.
Community in Shock as Case Turns Criminal
For a community that had rallied behind the search effort, news of Gross’s arrest has been deeply unsettling. Many neighbors expressed disbelief, having spent days scouring rugged terrain in hopes of finding Jayden alive.
Officials have pledged continued transparency as they move forward with the case against Gross. The focus now is on securing justice for Jayden Spicer, ensuring accountability, and providing support to a community left reeling from an unthinkable loss.