A Minnesota couple has been charged with manslaughter following the death of their 10-year-old daughter, who had autism and was allegedly left unsupervised for hours before being fatally crushed by her bed, authorities said.
Darcy Cross, 57, and Heather Cross, 49, were arrested on September 17, more than three weeks after officers responded to their home in Pine River on August 25, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by People.
First responders said they arrived to find Heather “frantically performing CPR” on her daughter. However, they told her to stop so they could begin using a defibrillator. An officer later reported that the girl’s legs were “stiff” and she appeared to be in “rigor mortis,” indicating she had been dead for several hours, the affidavit stated.
Investigators noted an “overpowering odor” of urine and feces inside the bedroom, which contained only a safety bed and several soiled mattresses. Heather reportedly described her daughter as a “fecal painter” and claimed the unsanitary condition was normal. Both of her daughters had autism and sleep disorders, she explained, which led the parents to purchase safety beds for them.
Heather told investigators she gave the girl a bottle and her daily medicine between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. before returning to sleep. She said she woke again at 9 a.m. and believed she heard her daughters playing in their rooms.
Darcy told police he went outside to mow the lawn at noon and returned around 4:30 p.m. to find his daughter dead. He claimed her head was pinned beneath the bed’s metal frame while her buttocks were in the air, comparing her position to a yoga pose.
According to investigators, the girl had likely been left alone for 10 to 12 hours without supervision, despite being described as an “extremely high needs child.” Although Heather told authorities she had never seen the bed frame broken, investigators allege text messages revealed she had sent Darcy photos of the damaged frame two days before the incident.
A search warrant allowed investigators to examine the bed, which showed all four metal poles meant to secure the frame were broken. A bed supplier technician later said the posts appeared to have been broken for some time. He added that the couple purchased replacement parts but declined the company’s offer to complete the repairs.
Following their arrests, the couple’s other daughter was placed in protective custody. In addition to manslaughter, Heather and Darcy are also facing a gross misdemeanor charge of contributing to the need for child protection or services. Their next court appearance is scheduled for October 1.