Heather Lynn and Darcy Ronald Cross now face two counts of second-degree murder, among other charges, according to court records viewed by PEOPLE
Credit: Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office
NEED TO KNOW
- Heather Lynn Cross and Darcy Ronald Cross, the parents of a child with autism who died after being allegedly left unsupervised, now face upgraded charges in connection with her death
- The couple was initially charged with manslaughter, PEOPLE previously reported, and are still facing that charge
- The couple were arrested in 2025 in connection with the death of their 10-year-old daughter, who prosecutors allege died after being “crushed” by her own bed
The Minnesota parents of a 10-year-old daughter with autism now face upgraded criminal charges in connection with her death.
Heather Lynn Cross and Darcy Ronald Cross now face two counts of second-degree murder, according to an updated probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. In the affidavit, authorities allege that the girl was crushed by her own bed after being left unsupervised for several hours.
The affidavit alleges that the girl was in a "safety bed," in which she was "unable to unzip the covering" and "unable to get out of the bed." "They are completely confined," the affidavit alleges.
Additionally, both now face four counts of wrongfully obtaining assistance by false statements, concealment, or impersonation for allegedly collecting more than $5,000 in assistance, according to the affidavit.
The couple was initially charged with manslaughter following their daughter's death, PEOPLE previously reported. Both are still facing that charge, according to court records viewed by PEOPLE.
Following the victim's death, the couple's surviving daughter was placed in the custody of child protective services. The fraud charges brought against the couple stem from an investigation that led authorities to believe that the surviving daughter, whose name has not been publicly released on account of her age, behaved "significantly different than the behaviors reported."
Prosecutors allege in the amended affidavit that Heather and Darcy "consistently reported" the surviving daughter's behaviors and needs "to be substantially greater than what has been observed by school staff beginning in 2022 and by care providers since her placement in protective custody in September 2025."
The "over reporting" resulted in a "substantial increase in the amount paid" to the couple for the care of their daughter through the MnCHOICES program, the affidavit. She was first assessed for the program in April 2022, and the "over payments based on the mis-representations" exceeded $20,000 per year from 2022 through 2025.
"MnCHOICES is a computer application used by counties, tribal nations and managed care organizations (MCOs) to support their assessment and support planning work for Minnesotans who need long-term services and supports (LTSS), regardless of age, type of disability or service needs," a description of the program on the official website reads.
Heather, 50, and Darcy, 57, were arrested on Sept. 17, 2025, almost a month after officers with the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office and Crosslake Police Department responded to the couple's Pine River, Minn., home on Aug. 25, 2025, according to the original probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
First responders said they arrived to find Heather “frantically performing CPR” on the 10-year-old victim, but told her to stop so they could attempt to revive her with a defibrillator. The officer promptly realized the victim's legs were “stiff” and that she was in “rigor mortis,” indicating that she had been dead for hours prior to their arrival, the complaint explains.
Investigators also noted there was an "overpowering odor" consistent with urine and feces in the bedroom, which only had a safety bed inside and several soiled mattresses, per the affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
Heather claimed to investigators the condition was normal and described her late daughter as a "fecal painter" and her surviving daughter as "an escape artist," per the affidavit. She told officers at the scene that both of her daughters had autism and sleep disorders, hence they slept in the "safety beds."
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The 10-year-old child is described as having been "nonverbal", and that she had "been diagnosed with Pica, and would pull trim off the walls and eat sheetrock."
Authorities believed that the victim was left alone for "10-12 hours with no supervision" at times, per the affidavit.
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