Mother pleads not guilty in death of 10-year old son

BREATHITT COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Breathitt County mother charged in connection with the death of her 10-year-old son, Jayden Spicer, made her first court appearance Thursday.

Felicia Gross, 33, pleaded not guilty via video conference during her arraignment. She is being held at the Kentucky River Regional Jail.

According to Kentucky State Police, Gross is charged with manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, false reporting, and tampering with physical evidence.

Investigators say Gross admitted to giving Jayden a type of sleeping medication and believed it caused him to have a medical emergency before he died. State police say she also confessed to taking Jayden’s body to some woods along Canoe Road in the Jackson community before reporting him missing on August 6.

Timeline of events:

Troopers say Jayden’s remains were found buried in a plastic tote during a search of the property.

Gross has been appointed a public defender and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Monday.