Prosecutors in Genesee County, Michigan, have charged a Flint Township couple with second-degree murder after authorities said their 7-year-old son died weighing 255 pounds and had been denied medical care for more than a year.
Damien O’Brien, 40, and Jessica O’Brien, 41, were arraigned last week on charges of second-degree murder, first-degree child abuse and torture, according to court records cited by NBC News and local outlets. If convicted, they face potential life sentences.
The investigation began Nov. 4, 2025, when a 911 call reported a young boy in medical distress at the family’s home in Flint Township. The child, identified as Casper Jacob Shane O’Brien, died after being taken to a hospital, authorities said.
At the time of his death, Casper stood 4 feet 2.5 inches tall and weighed 255 pounds — far above pediatric recommendations for a 7-year-old, according to a complaint filed by the Genesee County prosecutor’s office. The complaint alleged the O’Briens caused serious physical harm to their son, who was reportedly immobile.
A forensic autopsy report said Casper was last examined by his primary care physician in February 2024, when he was referred to a pediatric endocrinologist, according to MLive. The parents never brought him to that appointment, the report said.
“It was reported that the decedent’s diet was potato chips and fries because of texture issues,” Deputy Medical Examiner John A. Bechinski wrote in the autopsy report, per MLive.
Prosecutor Leyton told WJRT that Casper’s family was not lacking resources. He said Damien O’Brien had a stable job that provided health insurance to the entire family.
“This child did not have a pediatrician, was only taken to the doctor I believe, according to the police report, once,” Leyton said.
Authorities also said the boy was found in a makeshift bed shared by four family members, according to MLive.
Court records show the couple faces a second charge of second-degree child abuse involving another child in the home, a 5-year-old girl, NBC News reported. According to the complaint, that girl was also medically considered morbidly obese. Authorities said she was found outside the home naked, dirty and with knots in her hair.