'We failed Jayden Spicer'; Lexington priest covers funeral costs, calls for change
– 3 min read
Fr. Jim Sichko, a priest out of Lexington, picked up the bill for the funeral plus a proper burial and headstone for the little boy and his grandmother, who lovingly raised him until her death earlier this year.
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10-year-old Jayden Spicer was laid to rest on Thursday, surrounded by some of his favorite things... Spider-Man, toys, and a community who has rallied beside him.
Breathitt County Schools cancelled class for the day to allow students to attend the funeral, and mourn their classmate.
It's a heartbreaking day for the small community that had gathered together to search for the boy just weeks ago. After a multi-day search, the 10-year-old's body was found buried near his home, and his mom admitted to police that she buried him there.
What we know about CPS involvement
According to Jayden's obituary, posted on Breathitt Funeral Home and Monument's website, Jayden was raised by his grandmother until her passing in May of this year.
There have been ongoing questions regarding who had custody of the child after her passing. Now, we have received some answers.
In a new statement, shared with me Thursday, a spokesperson with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services said Jayden's mom always had full parental rights.
The statement reads:
"The death of Jayden Spicer is a tragedy, and the family remains in our thoughts during this difficult time. At the time of his death, Jayden Spicer was not in DCBS custody, nor under care of the state, and there were no active abuse or neglect allegations. Jayden’s mother always had full parental rights."
I also asked if the Cabinet has opened an investigation into the child's death but have not yet heard back.
The police investigation
Jayden Spicer was first reported missing by his parents on August 6th, according to Kentucky State Police.
Family, friends and investigators started searching for the boy immediately. His parents had told police he went missing the night of August 5th instead August 6th, after last being seen at his home in Breathitt County, KY.
One week later, on August 12th, Jayden's mom Felicia Gross was brought into the Jackson Police Department. During a recorded interview, Gross confessed to providing Jayden "a type of sleeping medication", according to the arrest citation. She told officer the medication caused Jayden to have a medical emergency and, "she believed that he had passed away from this medical emergency".
Felicia Gross, and her husband Joshua Gross, are both indicted in connection to the child's death. Felicia Gross' charges have been upgraded to include murder. Josh Gross has been charged with complicity to murder, complicity to report an incident, tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and complicity to tamper with witnesses.
Gross was initially charged with with false report, manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse. That manslaughter charge has been upgraded.
We are still waiting for autopsy results to confirm Jayden's cause of death.
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