MN - Parents charged after 10-year old autistic girl dies from being zipped up in safety bed for 12 hours - Pine River, Sep 2025

[Clearsky]

Couple charged with manslaughter after daughter dies while zipped up in safety bed in filthy conditions

Heather Lynn Cross, 49, and Darcy Rondald Cross, 57, are each facing counts of second-degree manslaughter and contributing to the need for child protection services after the death of their daughter on Aug. 28.

kstp.com

Heather Lynn Cross, 49, and Darcy Ronald Cross, 57, are each facing counts of second-degree manslaughter and contributing to the need for child protection services after the death of their daughter on Aug. 28.

 

[Gemmie]

Couple charged with manslaughter after daughter dies while zipped up in safety bed in filthy conditions

Heather Lynn Cross, 49, and Darcy Rondald Cross, 57, are each facing counts of second-degree manslaughter and contributing to the need for child protection services after the death of their daughter on Aug. 28.

kstp.com

View attachment 616515

Heather Lynn Cross, 49, and Darcy Ronald Cross, 57, are each facing counts of second-degree manslaughter and contributing to the need for child protection services after the death of their daughter on Aug. 28.

From your link:

• first responders were called to the Cross’s houses in Pine River, where a 10-year-old girl had been “crushed” by her bed.
• While attempting to revive the girl, first responders said she appeared to have been in rigor mortis
• the child had been staying in filthy conditions with urine and feces staining her mattress, foam pad, and other parts of the room.
• The bed was also found to have a mesh netting surrounding the frame and a cage, with parts that appeared broken.
• both daughters would sleep in the beds, referred to as a “safety bed,” as their 10-year-old daughter would often escape and had a habit of eating drywall. The mesh netting could only be opened from the outside, preventing the girls from leaving their beds when zipped up.
• Heather had checked on their 10-year-old daughter between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. that day, providing her medication before leaving her in bed. The couple then reportedly woke up at 9:30 a.m. and did not check on either of their children until 4:30 p.m., when Heather said she found her 10-year-old daughter with her head pinned under the metal frame of the bed.

Couple charged with manslaughter after daughter dies while zipped up in safety bed in filthy conditions

Heather Lynn Cross, 49, and Darcy Rondald Cross, 57, are each facing counts of second-degree manslaughter and contributing to the need for child protection services after the death of their daughter on Aug. 28.

kstp.com

 

[tlcya]

So "mom" checked on 10-year-old daughter between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. that day, went back to bed, then reportedly woke up at 9:30 a.m. and did not check on children until 4:30 p.m.? And she could not exit this bed without assistance. WTF is wrong with people???
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Court documents said both children, one of whom was an extremely high needs child, were left unsupervised for 10-12 hours and confined to their beds.

When speaking with the physician who prescribed the safety beds, they informed investigators they were designed for safe sleep and were not intended to keep children inside when they were awake, referring to daytime use as “a complete misuse of the equipment.”
[snip]
On subsequent visits by investigators, the couple’s other daughter, according to court records, was seen zipped in her safety bed with an iPad and a bedpan instead of being allowed to use the bathroom at home, despite being able to do so at school.
Couple charged with manslaughter after daughter dies while zipped up in safety bed in filthy conditions

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that confining your autistic children to beds all night and day with an IPad and a bedpan isn't exactly going to provide any therapeutic benefit to said autistic children.

These people were simply warehousing their children. Too difficult to parent? Just lock em up in their "safety" beds and toss a bedpan at em now an again.

Darcy Cross FB
Heather Cross FB

 

[Gemmie]

These people were simply warehousing their children. Too difficult to parent? Just lock em up in their "safety" beds and toss a bedpan at em now an again.

Darcy Cross FB
Heather Cross FB

SBMFF

And a full bedpan at that, and aimed for their heads. *raises hand to volunteer*

 

[ChatteringBirds]

So two children with autism, one severe. Maybe one of the parents also has it?

I guess I am curious about what was happening in that house mentally, psychologically, etc. with these two adults. Is there a mental health issue? Addiction? What did they say about not even feeding their children for all those hours?

I think there is so much more to this story than neglectful parenting.