Left: Heather Cross. Right: Darcy Cross (Crow Wing County Jail).
A Minnesota couple is facing imprisonment after allegedly confining their 10-year-old autistic daughter in bed for at least 10 to 12 hours, leading to her being discovered unconscious under the bed frame.
Heather Lynn Cross, 49, and Darcy Ronald Cross, 57, are charged with manslaughter in the passing of their daughter Cecilia. Additionally, they are charged with neglect concerning their older autistic daughter.
The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office received a call around 4:30 p.m. on August 25, directing them to a residence on County Road 1 in Pine River, approximately 150 miles northwest of Minneapolis, as noted in a probable cause arrest affidavit. Upon arrival, Heather Cross was administering CPR. Officers tried to use a defibrillator on the child but observed her stiff legs and noted she was in rigor mortis, indicating she had been deceased for several hours. The girl reportedly had significant marks on her neck.
Authorities reported a strong smell of feces and urine in the room. The affidavit describes feces on the floor and walls. The room contained no furniture aside from a specialized “safety bed” with a canopy, which was also soiled, according to the officers.
Heather Cross explained to authorities that Cecilia was a “fecal painter” and that the state of her room was not unusual. Cecilia, who is nonverbal, also suffers from pica disorder, a condition marked by the consumption of non-food items, her mother stated. Heather Cross also labeled her daughter as an “escape artist.” The other daughter faces comparable challenges, prompting the Crosses to zip them into their beds at night to prevent wandering, Heather Cross asserted.
The mother recounted that she awoke between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. on the day Cecilia died to give her milk and medication. However, neither parent checked on their “extremely high needs” children until approximately 4:30 p.m., when Heather Cross found her daughter unresponsive on the mattress beneath the canopy frame, as detailed by the officers.
Detectives noted that the canopy frame was detached, and appeared to be in that condition for some time. The bed manufacturer told cops that it offered to fix the bed but the suspects declined.
Investigators returned to the home a few days after the girl’s death to find her sister confined to her bed in the middle of the day. According to the affidavit, experts say that while the kids can be in their beds at night, they should be allowed out during the day. Confronted with this by a social services worker, Heather Cross began yelling at her, allegedly saying she can “zip the bed whenever the f— she wants to,” the affidavit noted.
On Sept. 17, authorities took custody of the surviving daughter.
Cops arrested the suspects the next day. They remain in the Crow Wing County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Their next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1.
