Kentucky lawmakers have begun drafting legislation aimed at strengthening child abuse laws after the death of 10-year-old Jayden Spicer of Breathitt County.
The push comes after true crime author Joe Clark reached out to Senator Brandon Smith following the revelation that Jayden’s mother confessed to giving him sleeping medication, which she believes triggered a medical emergency that led to his death. Jayden’s body was later found buried in a plastic tote after he had been reported missing for more than a week.
Clark and Smith, who did not know Jayden personally, said they felt compelled to honor his memory through “Jayden’s Law.” Clark identified three key gaps in Kentucky’s current child protection laws:
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Only children under age 12 are protected from capital sentences under Kimberly’s Law.
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Convicted child abusers can still petition for custody in family court.
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Jayden’s mother was initially charged with second-degree manslaughter, carrying just a 5–10-year sentence for killing a child.
The proposed legislation seeks to expand capital punishment aggravators to cover all children under 18, create a “murder by abuse of a child” charge, and upgrade aggravated criminal abuse of a child to a Class A felony.
Smith emphasized the need for Kentucky to be a strong deterrent against child abuse. “I want Kentucky to be a worry zone. I want if you’re somebody perpetrating this stuff on a child, I literally want you looking over your shoulder for me,” he said.
The case has been under investigation since September 2025, and Clark’s initiative is now driving the drafting of the proposed law. Both men hope “Jayden’s Law” will prevent further tragedies and save lives.
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