Michigan Parents Charged in Death of Severely Neglected 7-Year-Old Son

Damian O’Brien, 40, and his wife Jessica O’Brien, 41, of Michigan have been charged with the death of their 7-year-old son, Casper, who was found dead at the family’s neglected home in Flint in November 2025. Prosecutors say the child weighed 115 kilograms at the time of his death, stood 127 centimeters tall, and was far above a healthy weight for his age.

According to the medical report, Casper died of dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that can lead to heart failure, and severe obesity contributed to his death. Police were called to the home after an emergency report of a child in distress. Casper was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly afterward.

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said in an interview with WJRT that the case reflected “cruel and extreme suffering” caused by parental neglect. “The child suffered from obesity. He did not have a pediatrician, and I believe he was taken to a doctor only once in his life,” Leyton said. He also said the father had a good job and the family had health insurance.

Leyton said the children had never been enrolled in school and were unknown to child welfare authorities. “None of these children even existed in the eyes of the government,” he said, adding that welfare services never knew about them and they never attended school. The couple’s 5-year-old daughter also lived in the home, which police described as a hoarding environment. On the morning Casper died, the parents also called a veterinarian to seek treatment for their dog. The O’Briens are being held in Genesee County jail without bail, face second-degree murder, child abuse and torture charges, appeared before a judge this week, and are due back in court on July 2.