Name: Cecelia Cross.
Died: August 25, 2025.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Pine River, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Cecelia and her sister had allegedly been regularly confined to their beds during the day. Enclosed in netting stretched over a broken metal frame, the girls, both high-needs children, were left alone with only a tablet computer for company. They were forced to use bedpans, though they were both perfectly capable of using a toilet. The parents had been advised by social services that the beds were not meant to be used to confine children during the day, only to keep them safe at night. They had also been offered repairs for Cece’s bed, which was broken; but they refused to allow the repairperson in the house.
Cecelia was found dead, trapped in her “safety bed” with her head wedged between the metal frame and the mattress. She had been dead for several hours; her parents admitted to having left her alone for at least ten hours that day.
Cecelia’s sister was taken to safety by social services. Her parents were arrested.
Case Status:
Darcy Cross (Father) is charged with second-degree manslaughter.
Heather Cross (Mother) is charged with second-degree manslaughter.
Sources:
Pine River Couple Charged with Manslaughter in 10-Year-Old Daughter’s Death
Couple charged in death of autistic daughter in Crow Wing County
10-Year-Old Autistic Girl Crushed To Death In Broken Bed, Parents Arrested
Parents arrested as autistic daughter, 10, ‘crushed to death by her own bed’
Girl with Autism, 10, Allegedly Crushed to Death by Her Own Bed — and Now Parents Face Charges
Crow Wing County couple neglected daughter with autism who died while confined to bed, charges say – CBS Minnesota
Girl with Autism, 10, Allegedly Crushed to Death by Her Own Bed — and Now Parents Face Charges
Girl with Autism, 10, Allegedly Crushed to Death by Her Own Bed — and Now Parents Face Charges
10-Year-Old Autistic Girl Crushed To Death In Broken Bed, Parents Arrested
Parents charged after autistic girl, 10, crushed to death in home