Heather Lynn Cross and Darcy Ronald Cross have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of their 10-year-old autistic daughter, Cecilia Cross. The girl died in August 2025 after being left unattended in a safety bed that collapsed and crushed her. The couple previously faced manslaughter charges and now also face fraud allegations.
Heather Lynn Cross, 50, and Darcy Ronald Cross, 57, of Pine River, Minnesota, were upgraded to second-degree murder charges in connection with Cecilia Cross's death on August 25, 2025. Prosecutors allege the parents unintentionally caused the death while committing felony child neglect and endangerment. Court records show the incident occurred at their home on County Road 1, about 150 miles northwest of Minneapolis. Deputies arrived around 4:30 p.m. to find Heather Cross performing CPR on the girl, who was already in rigor mortis with deep marks across her neck. Darcy Cross reported finding Cecilia with her head pinned under the metal bed frame, her neck stuck between wooden and metal parts, in a pose like child's yoga. The room reeked of feces and urine, with waste smeared on floors, walls, and the safety bed canopy, which was detached. Heather Cross called this normal, describing Cecilia as a nonverbal 'fecal painter' with pica disorder and an 'escape artist.' She said they zip both autistic daughters into the beds at night. Neither parent checked on the high-needs children from early morning until late afternoon that day. The bed manufacturer had offered repairs, which the parents declined. Days later, investigators found Cecilia's surviving sister confined to her bed during the day, against expert advice. Heather Cross reportedly yelled at a social worker, insisting she could zip the bed whenever she wanted. On September 17, 2025, authorities took custody of the sister; the parents were arrested the next day. The Crosses also face four counts of fraud for allegedly overreporting the surviving daughter's needs to obtain over $20,000 yearly in state aid through the MnCHOICES program since 2022. An omnibus hearing is scheduled for August 3. The couple had prior manslaughter and neglect charges related to both daughters.