Parents of 7-year-old who died weighing 255 pounds charged with murder in suspected neglect case

By Alexandra Koch

Published June 27, 2026

Fox News Flash top headlines for June 27

The parents of a 7-year-old boy who died weighing 255 pounds have been charged with murder following a case of suspected neglect near Flint, Michigan.

Damien and Jessica O'Brien are charged with second-degree murder, torture and child abuse, according to authorities.

First responders were called to the O’Brien’s' home in November after their son, Casper, stopped breathing, according to a report from affiliate FOX 2 Detroit.

The young boy was bedridden, unable to speak and living in filth, according to the report. He ultimately died at the hospital from a heart muscle disease compounded by morbid obesity.

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Damien and Jessica O'Brien are charged with second degree murder, torture, and multiple child abuse charges. (Genesee County Sheriff's Office)

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton told the outlet the conditions were so severe that police noted they could not enter the house to help paramedics because there was no room.

Both parents were employed and had health insurance, but neither Casper — who Leyton noted was nonverbal and likely on the autism spectrum — nor his younger sister received medical care, according to the report.

The parents are charged with second-degree murder, torture and child abuse, according to authorities. (iStock)

"They knew enough to call the veterinarian the very morning the child went into [cardiac arrest] because the dog was sick," Leyton told FOX 2. "But yet they don't take the kids to the doctor. [It] doesn't make any sense to me."

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Casper's 5-year-old sister, who Leyton described as "feral," was removed from the home on the day he died by Children's Protective Services and has been placed into temporary foster care.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital Editor, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.

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