The parents of a 7-year-old Michigan boy who weighed 255 pounds (116 kilograms) when he died have been charged with murder, torture and child abuse, prosecutors said.
鈥淐learly the parents were feeding the child improperly, to say the least,鈥� Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said Monday. 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 getting the nutrition he needed.鈥�
Casper O’Brien died last November after first responders were called to the family’s home in Flint because he’d stopped breathing, prosecutors said. His parents 鈥� Damien O鈥橞rien, 40, and Jessica O鈥橞rien, 41 鈥� have each been charged with second-degree murder, torture and three counts of second-degree child abuse.
The couple were arraigned last week and are being held on no bond in jail in Genesee County, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit. A probable cause hearing is set for Thursday.
The child, who was 4 feet, 2.5 inches (128 centimeters) tall, was medically classified as obese, according to the Genesee County Medical Examiner鈥檚 report. His cause of death was listed as dilated cardiomyopathy, with his weight being a contributing condition. Dilated cardiomyopathy happens when the heart becomes enlarged and weakened and can鈥檛 efficiently pump blood, which can affect other body systems including the lungs.
According to the criminal complaints, the parents failed to take Casper for treatment even though the family had health care.
Elias Fanous, an attorney representing Damien O鈥橞rien, said in a statement that he wouldn鈥檛 speculate on the case鈥檚 circumstances and had no comment beyond saying that his client was 鈥渋nnocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.鈥� An attorney for Jessica O鈥橞rien did not immediately return a request for comment Monday.
Leyton said authorities believe Casper just consumed 鈥渁 steady diet of snack foods.鈥� He said Casper, who was nonverbal and bedridden, had severe bed sores and various rashes.
The autopsy report said law enforcement and Child Protective Services reported there were piles of trash in the home, and Casper was not enrolled in school. Leyton said the hoarding in the home was 鈥渢errible.鈥�
One of the child abuse charges relates to the couple’s 5-year-old daughter, who was placed in foster care.
Casper last saw his primary care provider in February 2024, according to the autopsy report, when he was diagnosed with a cough, congestion and metabolic disease. At that visit, he weighed 104 pounds (47 kilograms), and his mother was given information on a healthy diet and exercise, according to the report, which said he was referred to a pediatric endocrinologist but never saw one. The report said the metabolic disease wasn’t specified in available medical records.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very, very sad and tragic situation,鈥� Leyton said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been the prosecuting attorney for 22 years and I thought I鈥檇 seen it all but I鈥檝e never seen anything quite like this.鈥�
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