BREATHITT COUNTY, Ky. — A bond reduction hearing has been scheduled for Joshua Gross, the stepfather of 10-year-old Jayden Spicer, who was found buried on family property earlier this year. Gross remains in custody on a $1 million cash bond as he awaits trial on multiple felony charges connected to the child’s death.

The hearing is set for Friday, October 24, 2025, at 10 a.m. in Breathitt Circuit Court, where the court will decide whether to reduce Gross’ current bond amount.

A motion filed by Gross’ attorney requests that the court modify his conditions of release, arguing that the current $1 million bond is excessive and beyond his ability to post. The motion states that Gross has lived in Breathitt County his entire life, has strong family ties to the community, and has not attempted to flee despite being aware of the ongoing criminal investigation prior to his arrest.

The filing also notes that this is Gross’ first felony charge, with only minor traffic violations appearing on his record prior to the indictment.

Gross was taken into custody on August 18, 2025, and is charged with:

• Complicity to Murder

• Complicity to Falsely Reporting an Incident Which Generates an Emergency Response

• Tampering with Physical Evidence

• Abuse of a Corpse

• Two counts of Complicity to Tampering with a Witness

The charges stem from the death of 10-year-old Jayden Spicer, whose body was discovered buried inside a plastic tote after an investigation by the Kentucky State Police (KSP).

Authorities say the child’s mother, Felicia Spicer, confessed to giving Jayden sleeping medication, which may have led to his death. Following that confession, investigators obtained a search warrant, and within minutes, discovered the child’s body.

The Breathitt County Coroner pronounced Jayden deceased at the scene. His body was then transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. Officials say the exact cause of death has not yet been released, pending final autopsy results.

Both Felicia and Joshua Gross were arrested following the discovery and have since been indicted by a Breathitt County Grand Jury. Each has entered not guilty pleas to the charges.

The upcoming bond hearing will determine whether Gross remains held under the current bond or if the court grants his attorney’s request for a reduction to an amount he could reasonably post.

This report was compiled using information gathered and supplied by The Breathitt Advocate and through court filings, law enforcement statements, official press releases, and publicly available news sources.