Parents of 7-year-old children michigan The boy, who weighed 255 pounds (116 kilograms) when he died, has been charged with murder, torture and child abuse, prosecutors said.
“It was clear, to say the least, that the parents were feeding their child inappropriately,” Genesee County Prosecutor David Layton said Monday. “He was not getting the nutrition he needed.”
Prosecutors say first responders were called to Casper O’Brien’s home in Flint last November when he died after he stopped breathing. His parents – Damien O’Brien, 40, and Jessica O’Brien, 41 – were each charged with second-degree murder, torture and three counts of second-degree child abuse. abuse.
The couple were arraigned last week and are being held at the Genesee County Jail, about an hour northwest of Detroit. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
The child was 4 feet 2.5 inches (128 centimeters) tall and was medically classified as obese, according to the Genesee County Medical Examiner’s report. His cause of death was listed as dilated cardiomyopathy, with weight as a contributing factor. Dilated cardiomyopathy occurs when the heart becomes enlarged, weakened, and unable to pump blood efficiently, which can affect other body systems including the lungs.
According to the criminal complaint, the parents did not take Casper for treatment despite the family having medical care.
Elias Faunus, a lawyer representing Damian O’Brien, said in a statement that he would not speculate on the circumstances of the case and had no comment other than to say his client is “innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.” Jessica O’Brien’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
Leighton said authorities believe Casper was simply eating a “steady diet of snacks.” He said Casper was unable to speak, was bedridden and suffered from severe bedsores and various rashes.
Law enforcement and Child Protective Services reported piles of trash at the home and Casper was not attending school, the autopsy report said. Layton said the hoarding in the home was “terrible.”
One of the child abuse charges involves the couple’s 5-year-old daughter, who is in foster care.
According to the autopsy report, Casper last saw his primary care provider in February 2024, when he was diagnosed with a cough, congestion and metabolic disease. At the time of that visit, he weighed 104 pounds (47 kilograms), and his mother was given information about healthy eating and exercise, the report said, adding that he was referred to a pediatric endocrinologist but was never seen. The metabolic disease was not specified in available medical records, the report said.
“This is a very, very sad and tragic situation,” Layton said. “I’ve been a prosecutor for 22 years and I thought I’d seen it all, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”
