A Minnesota mother and father have been charged with manslaughter following the death of their 10-year-old daughter with autism, who authorities say was allegedly crushed by her own bed after being left unsupervised for several hours.
Darcy Cross, 57, and Heather Cross, 49, were arrested on Sept. 17 — just over three weeks after officers responded to the couple’s Pine River, Minn., home on Aug. 25, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
First responders reported finding Heather “frantically performing CPR” on the girl, but instructed her to stop so they could take over using a defibrillator. When an officer attempted to move the girl’s legs, he noted they were “stiff” and in “rigor mortis,” indicating she had likely been dead for several hours, the affidavit states.
Investigators also observed an “overpowering odor” consistent with urine and feces in the bedroom, which contained only a safety bed and several soiled mattresses. Heather reportedly told authorities that the condition was typical, describing her daughter as a “fecal painter,” according to the affidavit. Both of her daughters had autism and sleep disorders, she said, prompting the purchase of safety beds.
Heather told investigators she had given her 10-year-old a bottle and her daily medicine between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. before going back to sleep, later waking around 9 a.m. and believing she heard the girls playing in their rooms.
Darcy, in turn, told authorities that he went outside to mow the lawn around noon and returned around 4:30 p.m. to find his daughter dead, per the affidavit. He reportedly described her position, with her head pinned under the metal bed frame and her buttocks raised, comparing it to a yoga pose.
“Darcy reported it was not uncommon for the girls to be in their beds during the day and reported that he and Heather would generally check on the girls every couple hours,” the affidavit states.
Investigators, however, allege that the “extremely high needs child was left alone for 10–12 hours with no supervision.”
The affidavit also notes that Heather told authorities she had never seen the bed frame broken or out of place, but investigators say text messages show she sent pictures of the damaged frame to Darcy two days prior. When authorities rebuilt the bed after obtaining it through a search warrant, they found that the four metal poles intended to be welded to plates were all broken, leaving “nothing…holding the metal cage to the bed frame,” per the affidavit.
A bed supplier technician told authorities the posts had likely been broken for some time, given their condition, and he had not returned to the home since the original installation in 2020. The technician also said the couple purchased replacement parts but declined assistance from the company for repairs.
A social worker who visited the family on Sept. 5 stated that Heather confronted her during the visit, explaining that the bed enclosure for the older daughter could only be used at bedtime. Heather allegedly told the social worker to “get the f*** out,” according to the affidavit.
Following the arrests, Heather and Darcy’s other daughter was placed in protective custody.
The parents are also facing one count of contributing to the need for child protection or services, a gross misdemeanor. It is unclear whether they have entered pleas or retained attorneys. Their next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 1.
