Two Michigan parents have been charged with murder, child abuse, and torture following the death of their seven-year-old son, Casper O'Brien, who weighed 255 pounds at the time of his death.
Damien O'Brien, 40, and Jessica O'Brien, 41, are accused of subjecting their son to "extraordinary, terrible neglect," according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. Police responded to a 911 call on November 4, 2025, at the family's home in Flint Township, Michigan, and found Casper suffering a medical emergency in a makeshift bed. He died shortly after at a hospital.
A medical report indicated the cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart failure disease, with morbid obesity as a contributing factor. Casper, who was four-feet-two-inches tall, weighed 255 pounds, significantly exceeding the average weight for a seven-year-old boy. The average weight for a boy of that age is between 40 and 70 pounds.
Prosecutors allege that the parents never took their son for regular medical checkups, despite Damien O'Brien having a stable job with health insurance. Casper had reportedly only visited a doctor once, and a forensic autopsy report stated he was last seen by a doctor in February 2024, when he was referred to a pediatric endocrinologist whom he never saw. His diet consisted primarily of "potato chips and fries" due to "texture issues" with other foods.
Authorities also stated that the children were never registered for school. "None of these kids even existed in the eyes of the government," Leyton said. Casper was autistic, and the couple's five-year-old daughter has been placed in the care of Child Protective Services.
When police and Child Protective Services investigated the home, they described it as "absolutely disgusting" and a "hoarder situation," with trash piled throughout the residence, obscuring the flooring. Four neglected dogs requiring urgent medical attention and a broken, feces-filled toilet were also found. Police noted that on the day Casper died, the parents had called their veterinarian to treat their dog.
The O'Briens were arrested and formally charged this week. They are being held without bond in the Genesee County Jail and are scheduled for their next court appearance on July 2.