A couple from Michigan has been taken into custody on suspicion of second-degree homicide, child abuse, and torture after their seven-year-old son passed away. The child, named Casper, who weighed 255 pounds, died from heart failure on November 4, 2025. Authorities responded to a distress call regarding the deteriorating health of the child at a rundown property owned by Damien O’Brien, 40, and Jessica O’Brien, 41. Casper was rushed to the hospital, where he succumbed to “dilated cardiomyopathy with morbid obesity as a contributing factor.”
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton stated that the neglect by the parents led to extreme suffering for the child. The couple’s other child, a five-year-old named Illeana O’Brien, had not been attending school and rarely saw a doctor. The household was described as a hoarding situation. Despite this, the O’Briens sought veterinary care for their dog on the same day Casper passed away.
Leyton emphasized the severe neglect suffered by the children, highlighting the lack of government awareness of their existence. He deemed the parents’ actions as willful and wanton misconduct, which he classified as second-degree murder. Casper’s weight at the time of death, 255 pounds at a height of 4 feet 2 inches, greatly exceeded the CDC’s healthy weight range for a seven-year-old boy of the same stature.
Damien O’Brien was reported to hold a steady job with health insurance. A memorial page honoring Casper described him as a vibrant and affectionate child who enjoyed watching Super Monsters, particularly his favorite character, Frankie Mash.
The couple is currently detained without bail at Genesee County Jail and is set to appear in court on July 2.