JACKSON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Jayden Spicer’s mother is facing charges after the missing 10-year-old boy’s body was found in a shallow grave after nearly a week of searching.

He was reported missing on Wednesday, Aug. 6, and was believed to have disappeared overnight, wearing blue “Sonic the Hedgehog” pajamas. The near week-long search for the missing boy came to an end on Tuesday, Aug. 12, Trooper Matt Gayheart told FOX 56.

After troopers received new information, their search pivoted to the Canoe Road area. That’s where his body would be found around 3 p.m., buried in a remote area off Canoe Road, around 19 miles from the boy’s Panbowl Branch Road home. 

According to state police, Jayden’s mother, 33-year-old Felicia Gross, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and falsely reporting an incident in connection with the boy’s death.

His remains have been sent to the state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy, per KSP.

“While this is not the outcome that we had hoped for, we certainly are grateful that we were able to bring him out of the woods today,” Miranda King, commonwealth’s attorney, said in a Tuesday night media briefing.

“This incident has now transitioned from a missing persons investigation to an active and ongoing criminal investigation. With that, we must advise that specific details regarding this investigation cannot be released at this time. It is our top priority to protect the integrity of this investigation to seek justice for Jayden,” Gayheart said.

Gross provided a written statement to the media on Thursday, asking for prayers and for anyone with information to come forward. Investigators believe she wrote this knowing what had happened to her son. 

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Gross has been lodged in the Kentucky River Regional Jail. 

Investigators described their search for Jayden as exhaustive, combing over around twenty square miles in the immediate area using aircraft, drones, K-9s, sonar, FLIR, and “boots on the ground” search efforts.

But the days dragged on, and many began to lose hope that Jayden would come home alive.

“My honest opinion is something’s happened to that child. And that’s broken my heart because somebody would have found something by now. I’m praying for the Lord to show us, you know, he’s okay or to find him, but then my mind is like, this is a recovery,” Rosa McIntosh, a Jackson resident, told FOX 56 on Friday.

On Monday, Aug. 11, community members decided it was time to come together and offer a reward for information that’d bring the boy home. Jeff Turner lives in Jackson, and on Sunday, Aug. 10, he offered $500 for anyone who could bring Jayden home. He wasn’t alone, and the comments were filled with nearly 100 people offering to contribute.

The community raised over $3,000, and a Kentucky priest, Father Jim Sichko, offered to pay an additional $2,000 for Jayden’s safe return. It’s unclear if anyone will receive the reward money or where the information leading investigators to Jayden came from.

“I would like to take a moment to thank the many different organizations that assisted in the search efforts for Jaden. All of the volunteers that spent numerous hours and days trying to locate him. Thank you to every person that sent tips or even shared a social media post. Thank you for the many prayers that were prayed, and we ask that you continue to pray for a community that grieves during this tragic loss,” Gayheart said.

Father Sichko has since offered to pay for the boy’s funeral expenses.

“It appears that there are people all over the world who love and care for this baby. Because of that, I would like to assure the public that now, thanks to these guys, Jayden is now in good hands,” King affirmed.

FOX 56 is working to learn more about what led to Jayden’s death and his mother’s arrest. We have obtained court documents showing that Gross has faced numerous charges over the years, including endangering the welfare of a minor.