Parents charged after autistic daughter dies in 'safety bed' horror

A Minnesota mother and father face manslaughter charges following the tragic death of their 10-year-old autistic daughter who was crushed by her safety bed in appalling living conditions.

Heather Cross, 49, and husband Darcy Cross, 57, were taken into custody on September 17 - more than three weeks after young Cecilia's body was discovered at their Pine River residence. Emergency crews raced to the property on August 25 after receiving reports of a child's death, with officials stating the youngster had been "crushed by her bed," the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office confirmed, according to the Daily Mail.

Crosslake Police Chief Jake Maier arrived first at the scene and witnessed Heather desperately attempting CPR on her daughter. The news comes as a boy, 8, found dead at home as woman is charged with murder.

But when Chief Maier stepped in to assist, he discovered the child's legs were rigid - indicating she had already been dead for hours due to rigor mortis setting in.

Disturbing marks found on victim's body

Court documents reveal investigators discovered troubling marks around Cecilia's neck area below her chin, including a severe mark running across her throat.

The youngster's bedroom presented a shocking scene, with officials reporting an "overpowering odor consistent with urine and feces" along with waste materials covering the floor and walls, plus a filthy foam mattress pad.

Parents' account of fatal day raises questions

On the morning Cecilia died, Heather claimed she had given the girl her medication with milk sometime between 4am and 6am, court papers show.

Shockingly, neither parent claimed to have checked on their daughter again until 4.30pm - when they made the grim discovery.

"Heather said that she spent the remainder of the day working on packing school supplies while Darcy was outside mowing the lawn," court documents stated.

Darcy told investigators it was normal for the children to remain in bed during daytime hours, claiming the couple would "generally check on the girls every couple hours."

Tragic discovery in child's bedroom

When the parents finally entered Cecilia's room, they found her head trapped beneath the metal bed frame with her neck caught between the wooden structure and the metal canopy frame.

County investigators noted the bedroom contained nothing but the prescribed safety bed and was filled with the same overwhelming stench of human waste.

Safety beds designed to confine children completely

The couple, who have another daughter aged 12, explained to police that both children suffer from autism and sleep disorders requiring special "safety beds" that "completely confines" them.

Court papers reveal: "When [the girls] are in their 'safety beds' they are unable to unzip the covering and are unable to get out of the bed. They are completely confined."

Officials described these beds as twin-sized with wooden frames extending 4-5 feet above the mattress, featuring metal pipe frames and mesh netting creating a complete canopy enclosure.

Broken bed evidence emerges

When questioned about whether the canopy should be secured, Heather allegedly claimed they regularly changed the covering but had never witnessed the bed frame broken or displaced.

However, a search of the parents' mobile phones uncovered grim photographs sent by Heather to Darcy on August 23 - two days before Cecilia's death - showing the safety bed in a damaged state.

"The bottom poles for the metal cage are detached, and the bottom portion is slid out partially from the frame," court documents revealed.

The images allegedly showed a gap large enough for the child to escape the enclosure completely.

Police reconstruction reveals fatal flaw

Deputies who reassembled Cecilia's bed following its seizure made a disturbing discovery about its structural integrity.

"It was apparent that the welding for all four vertical poles was broken completely from the metal plates, so nothing was holding the metal cage to the bed frame," the court filing stated.

Court documents also detail a September 5 meeting between the parents and Crow Wing County Social Services worker Jill Yde, during which Heather allegedly became aggressive.

The mother reportedly told the official she could "zip the bed whenever the f**k she wants."

Yde claimed Heather repeatedly told her to "get the fk out," and despite reaching some agreement, the mother continued insisting she would "zip the bed whenever she f***g wants to."

Parents arrested as evidence mounts

Heather and Darcy were finally arrested on September 17 following what court documents described as "the cumulation of increasingly concerning evidence."

The couple's surviving 12-year-old daughter has been taken into protective custody while both parents remain behind bars on $100,000 bail each.

They are scheduled to appear in court on October 1, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.