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Parents face murder charges following death of autistic daughter
Medical responders discovered the ten-year-old victim had been dead for hours
The parents of a 10-year-old girl with autism in Minnesota now face upgraded criminal charges, including two counts of second-degree murder, in connection with her death.
According to an updated probable cause affidavit obtained on Saturday, authorities allege that Heather Lynn Cross and Darcy Ronald Cross allowed their daughter to be crushed by her own "safety bed" after being left unsupervised for several hours.
The affidavit describes the bed as a confined space where the child was unable to unzip the covering or escape.
The couple, who previously faced manslaughter charges, remain in custody as the legal proceedings escalate.
In addition to the murder charges, the couple faces four counts of wrongfully obtaining assistance through false statements.
Investigations into the MnCHOICES program, which supports Minnesotans requiring long-term care, led authorities to believe the couple "over-reported" the needs of their surviving daughter to increase financial aid.
Prosecutors allege these misrepresentations resulted in overpayments exceeding $20,000 per year between 2022 and 2025.
This investigation began after the surviving child was placed in protective custody and displayed behaviours significantly different from those reported by her parents.
First responders who attended the couple's Pine River home in August 2025 reported finding the victim in a state of rigor mortis, suggesting she had been deceased for a considerable time before the authorities were notified.
Officers also noted an "overpowering odour" in the bedroom, which contained only the safety bed and soiled mattresses.
Heather Cross reportedly described the girls' living conditions as "normal" to investigators at the time. The 10-year-old victim was non-verbal and had been diagnosed with Pica.
