2014–2024: Early Life Jayden Spicer

• October 4, 2014 – Jayden Spicer is born.
• Raised primarily by his great-grandmother Shirley Johnson (“Mama”) in Breathitt County, Kentucky, due to his mother Felicia Gross’s struggles with substance abuse, arrests, and instability.
• Felicia accrues multiple charges over the years including drug possession, firearms violations, child endangerment, and wanton endangerment. She spends about three years incarcerated.
• CPS monitors the family for years while Jayden and siblings Mia and Elias live under Shirley’s care.

2025 – Custody Changes After Shirley’s Death

• May 20, 2025 – Shirley Johnson dies at age 73 in hospice care.
• Custody:
• Aunt Samantha Brunty briefly takes in Jayden, Mia, and Elias.
• Mia remains with Samantha long-term; Elias’s placement unclear.
• Jayden eventually placed back with Felicia and her husband, Josh Gross, under CPS’s reunification plan (Felicia reportedly passed drug tests, attended parenting classes, and was deemed stable).
• Jayden moves into a crowded single-wide trailer with Felicia, Josh, and their three younger sons (Hunter, River, and Fiser). This was Jayden’s first time living full-time with Felicia, a major adjustment following the death of his primary caregiver his great grandmother Shirley.

August 5, 2025

• 9:00 PM: Jayden Spicer, age 10, was last seen at his home on Panbowl Branch Road near Jackson in Breathitt County, Kentucky.

August 6, 2025

• 9:00 AM: Jayden’s mother, Felicia Gross, discovered he was missing. A neighbor reported she knocked on their door around 9 a.m., distressed and asking to use their phone to call 911.  Source
• 9:23 A.M. on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, Kentucky State Police (KSP) Post 13 in Hazard received a 911 call regarding a missing juvenile in the Panbowl Branch Road area in the Jackson community in Breathitt County. KSP Troopers and local search and rescue teams immediately responded to the scene and initiated a search of the surrounding area. Preliminary investigation indicates that 10-year-old Jayden Spicer is believed to have left his residence during the overnight hours or early morning. Jayden is described as a white male, approximately 5 feet 1 inch tall, with a slim build, blonde hair, and blue eyes. He was last seen around 9:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at his home on Panbowl Branch Road. He was last seen wearing blue “Sonic the Hedgehog” pajama pants and a matching shirt. Anyone with information regarding Jayden Spicer’s whereabouts is urged to contact Kentucky State Police Post 13 in Hazard at 606-435-6069. This investigation is ongoing and is being led by Detective Nathan Roark.  Source
• The mother provided a written statement to the media.  Source

August 7, 2025

• 3:00 AM: Rescuers searched on foot, by all-terrain vehicle, canine, drone, sonar, and helicopter more than twenty square miles in the area on Wednesday after Spicer was reported missing at 9:23 a.m. The last crew left the woods shortly after 3:00 a.m. to reset for a second day of searching.  Source
• Morning: The search for the juvenile restarted at daybreak on Thursday, and access to Panbowl Branch will be controlled to prevent congestion on the one-lane roadway so efforts are not impeded. Officials ask the public to avoid the area as rescue crews continue the search. Numerous individuals and organizations have volunteered to aid the search effort, but officials ask that no one enter the area at this time without authorization.  Source
• 9:30 AM Search Continues for Breathitt County Juvenile Search crews looking for a missing 10-year old Breathitt County boy are continuing the search today, Thursday, August 7.  Source
• Teams from the Quicksand and Jackson Fire Departments supported efforts to locate Jayden Spicer in the Panbowl Branch area by the Breathitt County Sheriff’s Office, Breathitt County Emergency Management, and the Kentucky State Police yesterday. Rescuers searched on foot, by all-terrain vehicle, canine, drone, sonar, and helicopter more than twenty square miles in the area on Wednesday after Spicer was reported missing at 9:23 a.m. The last crew left the woods shortly after 3:00 a.m. to reset for a second day of searching. The search for the juvenile restarted at daybreak on Thursday, and access to Panbowl Branch will be controlled to prevent congestion on the one-lane roadway so efforts are not impeded. Officials ask the public to avoid the area as rescue crews continue the search. Numerous individuals and organizations have volunteered to aid the search effort, but officials ask that no one enter the area at this time without authorization. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Jayden Spicer is asked to call the Kentucky State Police at Post 13 in Hazard at (606) 435-6069.

August 8, 2025

• 3:33 PM: Update from The Kentucky State Police Post 13, Hazard, is continuing the investigation into the disappearance of 10-year-old Jayden Spicer.  Source
• Organized search efforts have thoroughly searched all areas of priority and continue to exhaust all resources at their disposal. Kentucky State Police have utilized numerous agency and partnership resources available, including aircraft, drone, K-9, Sonar, Fleer, and “boots on the ground” search efforts. At this time KSP will broaden its investigation and explore other areas in an effort to locate Jayden. We are asking the public to remain alert and report any information on the whereabouts of Jayden Spicer to Kentucky State Police, Post 13 in Hazard. We can be reached at 606-435-6069. Citizens can also provide information be using the Tip Line on the Kentucky State Police website, www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/tip.

August 12 

• In the early afternoon, a new tip directed search teams to a wooded area off Canoe  Road
• In A recorded, mirandized interview: Gross confessed to providing Jayden a type of sleeping medication. Gross further stated that this medication caused Jayden to have a medical emergency and she believed that he had passed away from this medical emergency. Ms. Gross further stated in the interview that she had transported Jaydens body to a wooded area on Canoe Road near the mouth of Joe Little Fork. Goss also facing an additional charge of tampering with a witness in connection to the death of her 10-year-old son, Jayden Spicer. Investigators say Gross “coached” two of Jayden’s siblings on what to say during interviews.  Source
• 3:00 P.M., the remains of Jayden Spicer were discovered buried at the scene off Canoe Road. Source
• The Breathitt County Coroner’s Office responded and pronounced the child deceased.
• The remains will be transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Frankfort for an autopsy.
• Jaden’s mother, Felicia A. Gross, 33, of Jackson, was taken into custody and transported to the Kentucky River Regional Jail. She is charged with Manslaughter in the Second Degree, Abuse of a Corpse, Tampering with Physical Evidence and Falsely Reporting an Incident. This investigation remains ongoing and is being led by Detective Nathan Roark.
• This incident has now transitioned from a missing person investigation into an active and ongoing criminal investigation.
• 8:30 PM: Kentucky State Police held a press conference about missing child Jayden Spicer.  Source
• Arrest Location: Near Jackson, Kentucky. She was taken into custody by Kentucky State Police Post 13 troopers. Charges Filed: Second-degree manslaughter Abuse of a corpse Tampering with physical evidence Falsely reporting an incident
• Custody Status: She was booked to the Kentucky River Regional Jail in Perry County.
• Connection to the Case: Police allege that Gross was involved in Jayden’s death and disposal of his body. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the cause of death yet, pending autopsy results.
• Investigation Notes: Kentucky State Police say the arrest was made after a tip led search teams to Jayden’s remains around 3 p.m. on August 12.
• The investigation is ongoing, with more details expected once the medical examiner’s report is complete.

August 13, 2025

• Felicia Gross bond has been set at $1 million cash. Source

August 16, 2025

• 8:30 PM: Community held Vigil for Jayden Spicer at Douthitt Park in Jackson, KY (Breathitt County). Source

August 18, 2025

• 10:00 AM: Felicia Gross’s preliminary hearing is scheduled to begin.
• 11:00 AM: Detective Nathan Roark presented Jayden’s case to the grand jury.
• 11:15 AM: The grand jury returned an indictment. As a result, the Breathitt County Grand Jury took the following action:  Source
• Felicia Gross has been indicted for the following: 1. Murder 2. Falsely Reporting Incident Which Generates an Emergency Response 3. Tampering with Physical Evidence 4. Abuse of Corpse 5. Tampering with a Witness 6. Tampering with a Witness
• Joshua Gross has been indicted for the following: 1. Complicity to Murder 2. Complicity to Falsely Reporting Incident Which Generates an Emergency Response 3. Tampering with Physical Evidence 4. Abuse of Corpse 5. Complicity to Tampering with a Witness 6. Complicity to Tampering with a Witness
• Bond: Both defendants are being held at Kentucky River Regional Jail on $1,000,000 bond each.
• 12:00 PM: Joshua Gross Arrested While Shopping: Joshua Gross was taken into custody at the Dollar General Market, where he had been shopping and had several bags of merchandise.
• 12:20 PM: Joshua Cross vehicle has been impounded.

August 21, 2025

• 10 AM to 2:00 PM Visitation scheduled for Jayden’s at Breathitt Funeral Home,
• 2:00 PM Funeral for Jayden. 
  Deputy Coroner Kenneth Lewis, along with Lee County Sheriff, Jailer, EMS, County Fire, Beattyville PD and hundreds of others with agencies from across the state joined in the funeral procession for 10 year old, Jayden Spicer Source

Early Life & Family

• Full Name: Felicia Ann Gross (née Brunty)
• Born: October 1991, Eastern Kentucky (Appalachian region).
• Family:
• Mother: Lisa Brunty
• Sisters: Samantha Brunty and Shai Salers
• Grandmother: Shirley Johnson (who later raised Felicia’s children).
• Felicia became a mother to three children: Mia, Jayden, and Elias Spicer.

Struggles with Motherhood

• Felicia reportedly struggled to provide stable care for her children from the start.
• Shirley Johnson, her grandmother, became the main caregiver for Mia, Jayden, and Elias — opening her home and raising them with stability and love.
• Felicia’s children knew Shirley as “Mama” and relied on her as their true maternal figure.

Criminal Record

Felicia’s adult life was marked by substance abuse and repeated encounters with the law:

• Drug charges
• Firearms violations
• Child endangerment
• Wanton endangerment (creating a substantial risk of injury or death to another).
• She served approximately three years in prison over the course of multiple convictions.

Because of this instability, CPS (Child Protective Services) maintained ongoing involvement in her children’s lives for years.

Marriage and New Family

• Felicia later married Josh Gross.
• Together they had three children: Hunter, River, and Fiser — all of whom remained in Felicia’s care.
• By mid-2025, Felicia was living with Josh and their three young sons in a single-wide trailer on Panbowl Branch Road.

Custody of Jayden

• After Shirley Johnson died (May 20, 2025), custody of Jayden shifted.
• Aunt Samantha briefly took him in, but with multiple children of her own, caring for Jayden’s needs became difficult.
• CPS — aiming for family reunification — returned Jayden to Felicia after she reportedly completed requirements (drug testing, parenting classes).
• Jayden moved into the trailer with Felicia and Josh in summer 2025. This was his first time living full-time with Felicia, a drastic change after years with Shirley.

August 2025 – Disappearance and Arrest

• August 6, 2025: Felicia reported Jayden missing, claiming he disappeared overnight.
• August 12, 2025: After a tip and questioning, Felicia confessed:
• She gave Jayden sleeping medication, which caused a “medical emergency.”
• Believing he died, she transported his body in a tote and buried it in a shallow grave on Canoe Road.
• She admitted to coaching her children on what to say during police interviews.
• Jayden’s body was recovered later that day.

Charges

August 12, 2025:

• Second-degree manslaughter
• Abuse of a corpse
• Tampering with physical evidence
• Falsely reporting an incident
• Tampering with a witness

August 18, 2025

Breathitt County Grand Jury Indictment:

• Murder
• Falsely reporting incident generating emergency response
• Tampering with physical evidence
• Abuse of a corpse
• Two counts of tampering with a witness

Custody Status

• Incarcerated at Kentucky River Regional Jail.
• Bond set at $1,000,000 cash.