A Michigan couple whose seven-year-old son, weighing more than 115kg, died of heart disease have been charged with second-degree murder, torture and three counts of second-degree child abuse.
Jessica O’Brien (41) and Damien O’Brien (40) were arrested last week in connection with the 2025 death of their son, Casper O’Brien, PEOPLE reports.
According to court documents, at the time of his death, the child was “immobile” because his parents failed to provide him with proper nutrition, failed to take him to the doctor for treatment even though the family had health insurance, failed to provide an exercise regimen to help him, and failed to provide a safe and clean environment for him.
Authorities said he and his sister were “living in squalor”.
“This was a sad and horrific case involving the wanton and wilful neglect by two parents for the care, welfare and medical needs of their son,” Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton said.
“Their neglect led to their child suffering froom severe bed sores, various rashes and other physical health disorders including extreme morbid obesity that ultimately led to his early death.”
A year before he died, the child was taken to see his primary care doctor, who referred him to a paediatric endocrinologist, according to a forensic autopsy report. But the boy never saw the endocrinologist.
Just before 9am on 4 November 2025, Jessica O’Brien called 911 to report that Casper wasn’t breathing. Police found him in a makeshift bed where he slept with his parents and five-year-old sister.
Medics performed CPR on the boy before taking him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His cause of death was listed as dilated cardiomyopathy, a type of heart disease, with morbid obesity as a contributing condition.
Police and children’s protective services said the family’s home was “absolutely disgusting” and filled with piles of trash, and a broken, overflowing toilet. Casper apparently had autism and did not go to school.
The parents are being held in custody and were due back in court this week.
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