Minnesota parents facing charges after autistic daughter dies trapped in broken safety bed

A Minnesota couple is facing manslaughter charges after authorities say their 10-year-old daughter with autism died when she became trapped beneath a broken safety bed frame.

Darcy Cross, 57, and Heather Cross, 49, were taken into custody on September 17, just weeks after emergency crews were called to their Pine River home on August 25, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by People.

First responders said Ms Cross was found “frantically performing CPR” on the girl when they arrived, but officers ordered her to stop as they attempted to revive her with a defibrillator.

One officer later noted the child’s legs were “stiff” and her body in “rigor mortis,” suggesting she had been dead for hours.

Investigators described an “overpowering odour” of urine and faeces in the bedroom, which contained only a safety bed and several stained mattresses.

Ms Cross allegedly told authorities the condition was typical and described her daughter as a “faecal painter.” She explained that both of her daughters had autism and sleep disorders, which was why the family had purchased the enclosed beds.

Ms Cross claimed she last saw the 10-year-old between 4am and 6am when she gave her a bottle and daily medication, before going back to sleep. Around 9am, she said she assumed the girls were awake and playing.

Mr Cross reportedly told police he went outside to mow the lawn around noon and returned at about 4.30pm to find his daughter’s body.

He said her head was wedged under the metal frame with her “buttocks in the air,” likening the position to a yoga child’s pose.

“Darcy reported it was not uncommon for the girls to be in their beds during the day and reported that he and Heather would generally check on the girls every couple hours,” the affidavit stated.

But investigators concluded the child, described as having extremely high needs, had actually been left unsupervised for 10 to 12 hours.

Ms Cross allegedly denied ever seeing issues with the bed’s frame.

However, investigators claim text messages show she sent Mr Cross photos of the broken structure just two days earlier.

When authorities seized the bed and reassembled it, they determined the metal poles were detached from their base, leaving “nothing … holding the metal cage to the bed frame.”

A technician later told police the damage appeared long-standing, noting the couple had ordered replacement parts but refused the company’s offer to send someone to repair it.

Court documents also reveal a tense exchange between Ms Cross and a social worker on September 5, after she was reminded that the bed enclosure for her older daughter could only be used at night.

Ms Cross allegedly told the worker to “get the f..k out.”

The couple’s surviving daughter has since been placed in protective custody.

In addition to manslaughter, both parents face one count of contributing to the need for child protection or services, a gross misdemeanour.

Their next court appearance is scheduled for October 1.