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The parents of a 7-year-old Michigan boy who weighed 255 pounds (116 kilograms) when he died have been charged with murder, torture and child abuse, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
\u201cClearly the parents were feeding the child improperly, to say the least,\u201d Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said Monday. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t getting the nutrition he needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Casper O’Brien died last November after first responders were called to the family’s home in Flint because he’d stopped breathing, prosecutors said. His parents \u2014 Damien O\u2019Brien, 40, and Jessica O\u2019Brien, 41 \u2014 have each been charged with second-degree murder, torture and three counts of second-degree child abuse. <\/p>\n
The couple were arraigned last week and are being held on no bond in jail in Genesee County, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit. A probable cause hearing is set for Thursday. <\/p>\n
The child, who was 4 feet, 2.5 inches (128 centimeters) tall, was medically classified as obese, according to the Genesee County Medical Examiner\u2019s report. His cause of death was listed as dilated cardiomyopathy, with his weight being a contributing condition. Dilated cardiomyopathy happens when the heart becomes enlarged and weakened and can\u2019t efficiently pump blood, which can affect other body systems including the lungs.<\/p>\n
According to the criminal complaints, the parents failed to take Casper for treatment even though the family had health care.<\/p>\n
Elias Fanous, an attorney representing Damien O\u2019Brien, said in a statement that he wouldn\u2019t speculate on the case\u2019s circumstances and had no comment beyond saying that his client was \u201cinnocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.\u201d An attorney for Jessica O\u2019Brien did not immediately return a request for comment Monday. <\/p>\n
Leyton said authorities believe Casper just consumed \u201ca steady diet of snack foods.\u201d He said Casper, who was nonverbal and bedridden, had severe bed sores and various rashes.<\/p>\n
The autopsy report said law enforcement and Child Protective Services reported there were piles of trash in the home, and Casper was not enrolled in school. Leyton said the hoarding in the home was \u201cterrible.\u201d <\/p>\n
One of the child abuse charges relates to the couple’s 5-year-old daughter, who was placed in foster care.<\/p>\n
Casper last saw his primary care provider in February 2024, according to the autopsy report, when he was diagnosed with a cough, congestion and metabolic disease. At that visit, he weighed 104 pounds (47 kilograms), and his mother was given information on a healthy diet and exercise, according to the report, which said he was referred to a pediatric endocrinologist but never saw one. The report said the metabolic disease wasn’t specified in available medical records. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very, very sad and tragic situation,\u201d Leyton said. \u201cI\u2019ve been the prosecuting attorney for 22 years and I thought I\u2019d seen it all but I\u2019ve never seen anything quite like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n