A couple has been accused of causing the death of their daughter by negligence, as she was found crushed by her own bed. The 10-year-old, who had autism and required supervision, was left unattended for an extended period, as revealed by law enforcement authorities. Paramedics attempted CPR upon reaching the family residence, but upon trying to reposition the girl, they observed stiffness and signs of rigor mortis, indicating a longer period of death than reported by the parents.
During the investigation, a strong smell of urine and feces was noted in the bedroom, which contained only a safety bed and several soiled mattresses. The legal documents filed against Darcy Cross, 57, and Heather Cross, 49, mentioned these findings. Heather informed Minnesota investigators that her daughter’s behavior, including painting with feces, was usual due to the girls’ autism and sleep disorders, necessitating the purchase of safety beds for the children.
According to court records, the mother stated that she provided her daughter with a bottle and medication between 4 am and 6 am before returning to sleep. Upon waking up at around 9 am, she believed the girls were playing in their rooms. The father mentioned to authorities that he went outside to mow the lawn around noon and discovered his daughter’s lifeless body upon returning at 4.30 pm, with her head trapped under the bed frame and her buttocks elevated, resembling a yoga pose.
The affidavit indicated that although Darcy and Heather claimed to check on the girls periodically, investigators found evidence that the high-needs child had been unsupervised for 10 to 12 hours. Heather denied ever seeing the broken bed frame dislodged, but text messages suggested she had sent pictures of the damaged frame to Darcy days earlier.
Upon dismantling and inspecting the girl’s bed under a search warrant, investigators discovered that the four metal poles meant to be secured to plates were all fractured, leading to the detachment of the metal cage from the bed frame, as detailed in court records. The parents are scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, October 1, while their other daughter has been taken into protective custody.