Breathitt County mother charged in son’s death has criminal history spanning a decade

BREATHITT COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — A Breathitt County woman charged in the death of her 10-year-old son, Jayden Spicer, has a criminal record that stretches back years, court documents show.

Investigators said she admitted to giving him sleeping medication and then burying his body in a wooded area.

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But Gross’s legal troubles began long before this case. 

In 2017, then known as Felicia Spicer, she was convicted of endangering the welfare of a minor in connection with a 2015 case. She served one year in jail. Conditions of her release included random drug testing and following the plans set by Child Protective Services.

Court records also show that in 2013, Jayden’s grandmother, Shirley F. Johnson, had filed for child support from Spicer. It’s unclear whether Jayden was part of that petition. The last of those child support cases closed in 2020.

Johnson passed away in May of this year. According to Jayden’s obituary, she “lovingly raised him” until her death.

In 2020, Gross was convicted of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia, as well as selling a firearm to a convicted felon. She was sentenced to another year in jail.

Court filings also show Gross recently filed for divorce from her legal husband, who has been in jail since 2022 after being convicted of second-degree strangulation.

Gross is currently in custody as the investigation into Jayden’s death continues.

She was charged with second-degree manslaughter, falsely reporting an incident, tampering with physical evidence, and tampering with a witness. 

She was lodged in the Kentucky River Regional Jail on a $1 million bond.