In the quiet, close-knit community of Breathitt County, Kentucky, a vibrant 10-year-old boy named Jayden Spicer filled the lives of those around him with laughter and light. Known for his playful spirit, kind heart, and boundless energy, Jayden was a fourth-grader at Highland Turner Elementary School, a child who loved superheroes like Spider-Man and adventures that kept him on the go. But on August 12, 2025, the hopes of a community were shattered when Jayden’s life was tragically cut short, leaving behind a legacy of love and a story that would shake the hearts of all who knew him.
Jayden was last seen on the evening of August 5, 2025, at his home on Panbowl Branch Road in Jackson, Kentucky, dressed in blue Sonic the Hedgehog pajamas. His mother, Felicia Gross, and stepfather, Joshua Gross, reported him missing the next morning, sparking an urgent and exhaustive search that gripped Breathitt County. The Kentucky State Police, alongside local search and rescue teams, volunteers, and even a state senator, scoured the rugged terrain using drones, K-9 units, sonar, helicopters, and all-terrain vehicles. The community rallied, raising over $3,000 for a reward to bring Jayden home, with Father Jim Sichko, a compassionate Kentucky priest, adding $2,000 to the effort. Jayden’s aunts, Samantha Brunty and Chy Salyers, pleaded for answers, their hearts heavy with worry as they searched tirelessly into the early morning hours. “He’s a good boy,” Samantha said. “Very sweet, loving, hyperactive. He doesn’t like insects or the dark.” The idea that Jayden would wander off alone into the woods seemed unthinkable.
As days passed with no sign of the boy, hope began to waver. Rosa McIntosh, a Jackson resident, voiced the growing dread: “My honest opinion is something’s happened to that child. And that’s broken my heart.” On August 12, the search took a devastating turn. Guided by new information, authorities located Jayden’s body in a shallow grave in a remote, heavily wooded area off Canoe Road, roughly 19 miles from his home. The grim discovery marked the end of a week-long search and the beginning of a harrowing criminal investigation.
The truth that emerged was unimaginable. Felicia Gross, Jayden’s 33-year-old mother, confessed to police that she had given her son a type of sleeping medication, believing it caused a fatal medical emergency. Instead of seeking help, she admitted to transporting Jayden’s body to the wooded area near Joe Little Fork, where she buried him in a plastic tote. Even more chilling, court documents revealed that Felicia had coached two of Jayden’s siblings on what to say during police interviews, attempting to conceal the truth. Her initial public pleas for Jayden’s safe return, including a handwritten note shared with local media—“We want him safe at home. Please, if anybody sees my son, report it to the Jackson police department. We love him very much”—now rang hollow, a heartbreaking deception that stunned the community.
Felicia Gross was arrested on August 12 and charged with second-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, falsely reporting an incident, and two counts of witness tampering. She was booked into the Kentucky River Regional Jail in Hazard, where she pleaded not guilty on August 14, with a public defender appointed to her case. On August 18, a grand jury escalated the charges, indicting her for murder, alongside the existing counts. Joshua Gross, Jayden’s stepfather, was also arrested on August 18, facing charges of complicity to murder, complicity to falsely reporting an incident, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and two counts of tampering with a witness. The couple’s actions, authorities alleged, were a calculated effort to cover up the tragedy that claimed Jayden’s life.
The Breathitt County community was left reeling, grappling with grief and disbelief. “I don’t see how a parent could react in that manner or fail to react and not get their child help,” said Jeff Turner, who had organized the reward fund. Jayden’s aunts expressed their anguish, with Chy Salyers noting, “There’s some stuff that just doesn’t add up in this case.” Samantha Brunty, devastated, wrote on social media, “Please pray for my family and I. RIP Jayden.” The community’s heartbreak was palpable, as vigils and tributes poured in to honor the boy who had touched so many lives.
On August 16, a candlelight vigil was held at Douthitt Park in Jackson, where community members gathered to mourn Jayden and find solace in shared grief. The Breathitt Funeral Home announced that Jayden’s visitation would take place on August 21, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a funeral at 2 p.m. Father Jim Sichko and Soulshine Industries stepped forward to provide a custom Spider-Man-themed casket, a touching tribute to Jayden’s love for the superhero. He would be laid to rest at Molands Cemetery in Canoe, Kentucky, at the feet of his grandmother, Shirley Faye Johnson, who had lovingly raised him until her passing in May 2025.
Jayden’s obituary painted a picture of a boy full of life, survived by his aunts Samantha Brunty and Chy Salyers, uncle Michael Hays, sisters Mia and Aliyha Spicer, brothers Hunter, River, and Fisher Gross, and a “like-a-grandmother,” Linda Salyers. His playful laughter and adventurous spirit would live on in the hearts of his cousins, friends, and community. In his memory, Aspire Appalachia launched the Jayden Initiative, an annual drive to support children and teens, ensuring they know they are not alone.
As the investigation continues, Jayden’s body was sent to the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office in Frankfort for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Commonwealth’s Attorney Miranda King, speaking at a press conference, vowed justice: “Jayden is now in good hands, and we are going to take care of him.” The community, united in sorrow, echoed her words, determined to honor a boy whose light was extinguished far too soon. In the words of Father Jim Sichko, “Eternal rest for little Jayden Spicer—may he rest in peace.”
