Daijiworld Media Network – Minnesota

Minnesota, Sep 26: A Minnesota couple, Darcy Cross (57) and Heather Cross (49), have been charged with manslaughter after their 10-year-old daughter with autism allegedly died after becoming trapped under her safety bed.

The tragedy unfolded at the family home in Pine River on August 25, though the parents were arrested on September 17, more than three weeks later. Investigators allege that the girls, aged 10 and 12, were left unsupervised and confined in safety beds for hours, a practice reportedly used by the couple due to their daughters’ autism and sleep disorders.

When first responders arrived, Heather Cross was performing CPR frantically, but officers noted that the girl was in rigor mortis, suggesting she had been dead for several hours. The bedroom was reportedly in squalid conditions, with soiled mattresses and an overwhelming stench of urine and feces.

Heather told authorities that she had fed and medicated her daughter between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. before returning to sleep, while Darcy claimed he had been mowing the lawn around noon and discovered the body at 4:30 p.m., with the child pinned under the metal bed frame.

The couple’s surviving daughter has been placed in protective custody by social services. Darcy and Heather Cross now face second-degree manslaughter and a gross misdemeanor for contributing to the need for child protection. Their next court hearing is scheduled for October 1.