Missing 10-year-old boy found buried in a remote area after his mother who claimed she “loved him very much” and begged for help locating him confessed to his murder; mother charged
Kentucky – In a deeply disturbing case that has shocked Kentucky residents, a 33-year-old woman, identified as F. Gross, now faces multiple felony charges after police say she murdered her 10-year-old son, whom she claimed she “loved very much”, buried his body in a remote area, and then pretended to plead for his safe return.
Authorities confirmed Gross has been charged with manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and falsely reporting an incident. Her arrest came after a nearly weeklong search for her son ended in tragedy when his remains were found in a remote part the county. Kentucky State Police say the discovery was made after the mother led them to the location herself. The boy was last seen on August 5 at his home. Gross initially told police that he went to bed that evening but was gone the next morning. The missing child alert described him as a white male, 5’1” tall, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and wearing blue Sonic the Hedgehog pajamas.
In the days that followed, Gross provided a handwritten note to the media, claiming she desperately wanted her son back. In it, she wrote, “We love him and we want him safe at home… we love him very much please do the right thing… please pray for us and my son.” Investigators now believe these words were written while she already knew her son was dead. The disappearance sparked intense search efforts around the boy’s home, with neighbors, law enforcement, and volunteers combing the area.
On August 12, six days after the 10-year-old boy was reported missing, police received a tip that shifted the focus of the search. That afternoon, troopers located his body in a “heavily wooded area” about 19 miles from his home. The burial site was on a cemetery where the boy’s grandmother had been laid to rest. Family members shared their devastation on social media. The boy’s grandmother expressed disbelief and grief upon learning of her daughter’s confession.
Kentucky State Police confirmed that the boy’s body was transported to the state Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. While the official cause of death has not been released, local reports suggest Gross told investigators she had “accidentally over-medicated him” before burying the body. Authorities addressed the press, saying the investigation remains ongoing and that no further details would be disclosed until necessary. They urged anyone with information to contact Kentucky State Police.
Gross is being held at the regional jail without bond. Records show she previously served time for endangering the welfare of a minor, making this her second criminal case involving a child’s safety. For the community, the case is particularly painful given the mother’s public displays of concern in the days following her son’s disappearance. What began as a search for a missing child became a homicide investigation that ended with a parent’s confession.
