A Michigan couple has been arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, child abuse, and torture following the death of their seven-year-old son.
Casper, who weighed 255lb, died heart failure on 4 November 2025. Officers say they arrived at a run-down property belonging to Damien O’Brien, 40, and his wife Jessica O’Brien, 41, after receiving a 911 call about the child’s deteriorating condition. Casper was taken to hospital where he died from “dilated cardiomyopathy with morbid obesity as a contributing factor.
“On the face of it, this is cruel and extreme suffering from this child caused by the neglect of the parents,” Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton told WJRT. “That is obesity. This child did not have a pediatrician, was only taken to the doctor, I believe … once.”
View 3 ImagesDamien O’Brien(Image: Flint Township)
The pair have another daughter, five year old Illeana O’Brien. Officers added that neither child had attended school and seldom saw a doctor, while their home was described as a hoarding situation. Yet Leyton reveals that the couple did ring their dog’s vet for treatment on the very morning that Casper died, reports the Mirror US.
“None of these kids even existed in the eyes of the government. CPS had never been out there, nobody knew about these kids, they had not been to school,” says Leyton.
“I can’t think of what else this is, other than extraordinary, terrible neglect. And to me, that is willful and wanton misconduct, which is second-degree murder,” added the prosecutor. At the time of his death, Casper measured 4 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 255 pounds — significantly exceeding what the CDC regards as a healthy weight for a 7 year old boy of the same height, which is typically between 50 and 73 pounds.
View 3 ImagesJessica O’Brien(Image: Flint Township)
Damien O’Brien is recorded as holding a stable job with health insurance.
A memorial page listing the boy’s funeral for November 6 2025 portrayed him as a warm and cheerful child. “Casper was a bright, loving young boy whose joyful spirit touched everyone around him. He loved watching Super Monsters, especially his favorite character, Frankie Mash,” the site said.
The pair are currently being held without bond at Genesee County Jail, with their next court appearance scheduled for July 2.