Kentucky Mother Accused of Burying Son After Giving Him Sleeping Medication and Reporting Him Missing

Jaden Spicer, 10, was reported missing from his home on Panbowl Branch Road in the tiny Kentucky town of Jackson on the morning of August 6

A Kentucky mother is facing serious criminal charges after allegedly burying her 10-year-old son in a shallow grave and falsely reporting that he had wandered off into the woods.

Jaden Spicer was reported missing on the morning of August 6 from his home on Panbowl Branch Road in Jackson. His parents claimed they had not seen him since around 9 p.m. the previous night and believed he left the house on his own sometime during the night. He was reportedly last seen wearing blue Sonic the Hedgehog pajama pants and a matching shirt as his mother made a public appeal pleading for help locating her missing son.

Jaden's mother Felicia Gross was charged with second-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, evidence tampering, and falsely reporting an incident

Authorities searched the wooded area and surrounding properties extensively with aircraft, drones, search dogs, and sonar. As the investigation progressed, family members raised concerns that the disappearance did not make sense, noting that Jaden was afraid of the dark and unlikely to walk into the woods alone.

Nearly a week later, on Tuesday, Felicia Gross allegedly confessed during an interview with investigators. According to Kentucky State Police, she admitted to giving Jaden a form of sleeping medication, which caused a medical emergency that she believed resulted in his death. Detectives testified that Gross then placed his body in a plastic tote, transported him to a wooded area nearly 19 miles from their home, and buried him in a shallow grave off Canoe Road near the mouth of Joe Little Fork.

'We love Jaden and we want him safe at home... We love him very much, please do the right thing, call the police,' Jaden's mother Felicia Gross wrote in a note begging for help

Police obtained a search warrant and located Jaden’s remains around 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Investigators additionally alleged that Gross instructed Jaden’s siblings to support the false story about him going missing in the woods.

Gross has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and falsely reporting an incident. She is currently being held in the Kentucky River Regional Jail while an autopsy on Jaden’s body is conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

Jaden's body was found in a shallow grave about 19 miles from the family home

Troopers expressed gratitude to the many organizations and volunteers who spent hours searching for Jaden and urged the community to continue praying for the grieving town. Commonwealth’s Attorney Miranda King confirmed her office will pursue prosecution in the case, stating that although the discovery was not the outcome anyone had hoped for, authorities are relieved to have recovered Jaden’s body.