New Delhi: A Minnesota couple have been charged with manslaughter after their 10-year-old daughter with autism allegedly died by getting trapped underneath her bed. The parents have been charged with leaving their two daughters with autism alone and confined to safety beds for hours, reported People.
Darcy Cross, 57, and Heather Cross, 49, were arrested on September 17, more than three weeks after their daughter was pronounced dead at their home in Pine River, Minnesota, on August 25.
When first responders arrived at the location, Heather was "frantically performing CPR" on her daughter. She was instructed to stop, allowing the responders to use a defibrillator. Upon examination, an officer noticed the girl's legs were "stiff" and she was in "rigor mortis", indicating she had been dead for several hours before the authorities were called.
Investigators further found that the autistic girl was allegedly crushed by her safety bed after being left unsupervised for 10-12 hours. The bedroom where she slept was also in squalid conditions with an overwhelming odour of urine, faecesand soiled mattresses. The parents reportedly used safety beds to confine their daughters, aged 10 and 12, due to their autism and sleep disorders.
Heather told the investigators that she fed her 10-year-old daughter and administered her medication sometime between 4 am and 6 am before returning to sleep. She stated she woke up around 9 a.m. and thought she heard the girls playing in their rooms.
Meanwhile, Darcy Cross claimed that he was outside mowing the lawn around noon and discovered his daughter's body when he came inside around 4:30 pm. He described finding her with her head pinned under the metal bed frame and her buttocks in the air.
The couple's surviving daughter has since been taken into protective custody by social services. Darcy and Heather Cross face serious charges, including second-degree manslaughter and one count of contributing to the need for child protection or services, a gross misdemeanour. Their next court appearance is on October 1.
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