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A couple has been charged with murder after prosecutors alleged their seven-year-old son died following years of severe neglect, with authorities describing the conditions inside the family home as among the worst they had encountered.
Damien and Jessica O'Brien from Michigan are facing charges including second-degree murder, torture and multiple counts of second-degree child abuse following the death of their son, Casper O'Brien, in November 2025.
According to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, Flint Township police responded to the family's home after receiving reports of a child suffering cardiac arrest.
Casper, who was seven years old, weighed 255 pounds at the time of his death.
Investigators who entered the home described shocking living conditions.
Police said the property was filled with extreme hoarding, with the floor hidden beneath piles of clutter.
Court documents allege there was no working toilet, while large amounts of human waste were found throughout the house.
Authorities said Casper appeared dirty when emergency crews arrived and was wearing a heavily soiled diaper as paramedics attempted lifesaving treatment before transporting him to hospital.
Doctors treating the child reportedly suspected abuse and neglect had played a role in his condition.
Police also said Casper had 'some of the worst open sores and rashes they've ever seen.'
An autopsy later determined he died from dilated cardiomyopathy, with extreme morbid obesity listed as a contributing factor.
Prosecutors allege Casper had become immobile because of prolonged neglect.
Court documents claim his parents failed to provide proper nutrition, opportunities for exercise, appropriate medical care or a safe and hygienic home despite having health insurance.
The charges also relate to the couple's five-year-old daughter, who police reportedly found naked when officers arrived at the home.
Investigators said the child weighed around 130 pounds and was also considered morbidly obese.
They further alleged she had poor hygiene, tangled hair and was suffering from a persistent cough.
According to charging documents, the parents are accused of failing to care for their daughter, who 'was morbidly overweight, was dirty, knots in her hair, naked outside when law enforcement arrived.'
Following the medical examiner's report, prosecutors formally brought charges against both parents.
In a statement, Prosecutor Leyton described the case as 'a sad and horrific case involving the wanton and willful neglect by two parents for the care, welfare and medical needs of their son.'
He added: "Their neglect led to their child suffering severe bed sores, various rashes and other physical health disorders including extreme morbid obesity that ultimately led to his early death."
The O'Briens were arraigned after being charged.
It is not currently known whether either parent has legal representation.
A probable cause hearing has been scheduled in the 67th District Court.
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New details have been released about the life of a morbidly obese seven year old, as his parents are charged with his murder.
As previously reported, Damien O’Brien, 40, and his wife Jessica O’Brien, 41, were charged with second-degree murder, as well as second-degree child abuse and torture, relating to their late son Casper.
The seven-year-old died weighing 255lbs, and it was claimed he never attended school and only saw a doctor once in his life.
Police had responded to a 911 call for a child in distress at the family’s home in Flint Township, Michigan on November 4, 2025, where they found Casper severely ill.
The young boy was rushed to a local hospital where he died shortly afterward from dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease that leads to heart failure, with a contributing cause being morbid obesity, per the medical report cited by the New York Post.
New reports state that Casper had gained 151lbs in less than two years before his death, after being fed a "steady diet of snack foods".
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said Monday, per the New York Post: "Clearly the parents were feeding the child improperly, to say the least. He wasn’t getting the nutrition he needed."
Tragically, Leyton also revealed that authorities believe Casper was nonverbal as well as bedridden and covered with bedsores and various rashes before he passed away.
Leyton added: "It’s a very, very sad and tragic situation. I’ve been the prosecuting attorney for 22 years and I thought I’d seen it all but I’ve never seen anything quite like this."
The Genesee County Medical Examiner’s report listed Casper's cause of death as "dilated cardiomyopathy", a condition that affects the heart's ability to pump blood, with his weight also being a contributing factor to his death.
Casper's autopsy report, which also cited law enforcement and Child Protective Services, claimed the family's home was filled with trash and that Casper was not given medical care despite the family having health insurance.
His autopsy report states that Casper was taken to the doctor once in February 2024, when he weighed 104lbs.
Casper's records state he was 4'2" tall at the time of his death, and weighed 255 pounds - far exceeding the healthy weight for a child of his age and height, which the CDC says should be between 50 and 73 pounds.
Prosecutors say that Casper suffered "extraordinary, terrible neglect" at the hands of his parents - who also have a five-year-old daughter - throughout his short life.
Leyton told WJRT: "On the face of it, this is cruel and extreme suffering from this child caused by the neglect of the parents.
"That is obesity. This child did not have a pediatrician, was only taken to the doctor I believe … once."
Leyton added: "None of these kids even existed in the eyes of the government. CPS had never been out there, nobody knew about these kids, they had not been to school.
"I can’t think of what else this is, other than extraordinary, terrible neglect. And to me, that is willful and wanton misconduct, which is second-degree murder."
A funeral tribute posted in November described Casper as a "bright, loving young boy whose joyful spirit touched everyone around him."
The message added: "He loved watching Super Monsters, especially his favorite character, Frankie Mash.
"He was preceded in death by his little brother, Phoenix."
An attorney for Damien O’Brien told the outlet that his client was “innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
The O'Briens are being held at the Genesee County Jail without bond until their next court appearance on July 2.
Michigan parents have been charged with murder after their seven-year-old son died weighing 255 pounds, according to prosecutors.
Damien O'Brien, 40, and Jessica O'Brien, 41, were charged with second-degree murder, torture, and multiple counts of second-degree child abuse following the death of their son, Casper O'Brien.
The charges stem from an investigation into the child's death after emergency services were called to the family's home in November 2025.
According to police, Jessica O'Brien contacted 911 shortly before 9:00AM to report that her son was not breathing.
First responders performed CPR before transporting Casper to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The Genesee County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Casper died from dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that causes the heart to become enlarged and weakened, with morbid obesity listed as a contributing factor.
According to an autopsy report, the seven-year-old was last seen by his primary care doctor in February 2024 and was referred to a pediatric endocrinologist.
Prosecutors allege that the appointment never took place.
Court records also allege that the couple failed to obtain appropriate medical care for their son despite having health insurance.
The autopsy report stated that Casper's diet reportedly consisted primarily of potato chips and fries due to texture sensitivities.
Investigators further alleged that the family was living in what police described as deplorable conditions.
Officers reported finding large amounts of trash throughout the property, while court documents claim the home's only toilet was not functioning and was filled with feces.
Authorities also said several dogs found inside the residence required medical attention.
According to police reports, Casper was autistic and did not attend school.
His five-year-old sister was later removed from the home by Child Protective Services.
Speaking about the case, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said: "Nobody knew these kids existed."
"I don't want to charge parents with neglect or murder. I didn't have any choice," he added during a press conference.
The O'Briens are due back in court in July as the case proceeds.
An attorney representing the couple had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of writing.
Following his death, Casper was remembered in an obituary as "a bright, loving young boy whose joyful spirit touched everyone around him."
The notice added that he loved watching 'Super Monsters' and especially enjoyed the character Frankie Mash.
If convicted, the O’Briens could face life in prison.
The parents of a seven-year-old boy have been arrested and charged with murder after the child died weighing 18 stone.
Damien O’Brien, 40, and his wife Jessica O’Brien, 41, are also facing charges of child abuse and torture relating to their late son Casper, following his death, after it was claimed he never attended school and only saw a doctor once in his life.
Police had responded to a 911 call for a child in distress at the family’s home in Flint Township, Michigan on November 4, 2025, where they found Casper severely ill.
The young boy was rushed to a local hospital where he died shortly afterward from dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease that leads to heart failure, with a contributing cause being morbid obesity, per the medical report cited by the New York Post.
Casper's records state he was 4'2" tall at the time of his death, and weighed 255 pounds - far exceeding the healthy weight for a child of his age and height, which the CDC says should be between 50 and 73 pounds.
Prosecutors say that Casper suffered "extraordinary, terrible neglect" at the hands of his parents - who also have a five-year-old daughter - throughout his short life.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton told WJRT: "On the face of it, this is cruel and extreme suffering from this child caused by the neglect of the parents.
"That is obesity. This child did not have a pediatrician, was only taken to the doctor I believe … once."
According to reports, Damien had a good job and the family had health insurance and had even called their veterinarian to have their dog treated on the morning of the day Casper died.
Despite this, the family is described as living in a "hoarder home", and neither Casper nor his sister had been enrolled in school.
Leyton added: "None of these kids even existed in the eyes of the government. CPS had never been out there, nobody knew about these kids, they had not been to school.
"I can’t think of what else this is, other than extraordinary, terrible neglect. And to me, that is willful and wanton misconduct, which is second-degree murder."
According to reports, the landlord of their property had tried to gain access in November after becoming concerned about the home, but the O'Briens would not let him inside.
A funeral tribute posted in November described Casper as a "bright, loving young boy whose joyful spirit touched everyone around him."
The message added: "He loved watching Super Monsters, especially his favorite character, Frankie Mash.
"He was preceded in death by his little brother, Phoenix."
Damien and Jessica O'Brien have been charged with second-degree murder, child abuse, and torture, and are being held at the Genesee County Jail without bond until their next court appearance on July 2.
Last week, a mother-of-seven received a sentence of 28 years behind bars for inflicting extreme torture on her five-year-old stepson.
Tammi Bleimeyer, a 37-year-old woman from Texas, was trialled last Friday more than four years since the abuse was discovered. Her stepson, Jordan Bleimeyer (now nine years of age), was reportedly close to death at the time he was rescued, and doctors reported that he weighed just 29 lbs, which is barely more than the average two-year-old.
As well as starving the boy, Bleimeyer forced him to wear a diaper and made him sleep in a tiny closet under the stairs. The "room" was not even fit for an animal, and had exposed nails and wiring in the walls and around the mattress that Jordan was made to sleep on.
The horrific crime was first brought to light when one of Bleimeyer's own children, just 16 at the time, reported her to authorities. The teen reported that his stepbrother was being abused by his mother and 24-year-old stepfather (Jordan's father), Bradley Bleimeyer.
When Tammi Bleimeyer learned that her son had gone to the police, she took Jordan out of the house and refused to return when contacted by police. Fortunately, law enforcement were able to track her down using cell phone records, and found her at a nearby motel. She was six months pregnant at the time.
Jordan was rushed to hospital as soon as he was discovered, and was found to be severely malnourished and covered in cuts and bruises from his parents' abuse.
Both Tammi and Bradley Bleimeyer were arrested, with Bradley receiving a 15-year sentence in 2016.
In court, it was revealed that Jordan had not even been allowed to eat dinner with his siblings. Instead, he was given just one slice of bread to eat per day, and it was taken away from him if he didn't eat it quickly enough. This left him so severely starved that he was compared to a holocaust victim.
It was also alleged that Jordan's father would drug him when other people would come round to visit, and Bleimeyer's 16-year-old son said that Jordan had been tasered and had his head slammed against the wall on at least one occasion.
It came as a bittersweet relief, then, when Bleimeyer was finally sent down last week following testimonies against her from her own children.
"It's no mystery why we're all here," one of her sons said in a prepared statement. "You made a big mistake, and ultimately have to face the consequences. I'm up here to ask a rhetorical question of how, how could you put your children through all that? The people who should be your pride and joy. You caused me feelings of sadness, anger, confusion, and emptiness. I can't say that I'll ever be the same emotionally because of this."
Jordan has since been reunited with his biological mother, and Bleimeyer's other children were taken into CPS care.
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The father of a grown man who was brutally killed in his bed by a seven-year-old boy for no reason, has revealed that they forgive the child.
On January 18, 2022, Brandon O'Quinn Rasberry, 32, was found dead in his RV in Texas, with a single gunshot wound to his head and minor graze wounds on his hands, according to the Gonzales County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators believed that Rasberry, who had only lived at the RV park for four days, had been dead for two days before he was discovered, after his employer phoned them to report him missing
Last week, a 10-year-old boy admitted to shooting Rasberry in cold blood as he slept, sharing key details that were not known to the public in his confession.
The case had puzzled detectives for two years, after they'd scoured Rasberry's cell phone for clues and interviewed neighbors to try and find out why someone would have executed him while he slept.
However, their investigation did not throw up any leads until last week, when the 10-year-old child from Texas confessed to the killing.
The horrific crime had come to light after a local principal called to report the child's chilling confession as well as his threats to assault and kill another student.
"Based on this information the Deputy contacted the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division. Investigators determined based on the information the child told the school, the child may have knowledge about the murder of Brandon," the department said, via the New York Post.
Police said the boy, whose identity has not been revealed, "described in detail" things about the killing which had not been made public.
The child, who was just seven years old at the time of the murder, said he had been visiting his grandfather who lived in the same RV park at the time, and had spotted Rasberry walking around the lot.
The 10-year-old said he took a "dirt and army green" 9mm pistol from the glovebox of his grandfather's truck on the night of the killing, before creeping into Rasberry's RV, where the 32-year-old was sleeping.
Police stated: "The Child stated he observed Brandon sleeping in his bed and approached Brandon and discharged the firearm into Brandon striking him one time in the head.
"The child stated as he was leaving the RV he discharged the firearm another time into the couch inside the RV. The child then exited the RV and returned the firearm to the glovebox of the truck."
According to investigators, the child did not have a clear motive for killing Rasberry, and admitted he had never met the man or even knew his name.
Police added: "The child was also asked if he was mad at Brandon for some reason or if Brandon had ever done anything to him to make him mad, the child stated no."
Despite the horrific circumstances surrounding Rasberry's untimely death, his father, Kenneth Rasberry, has said he forgives the child for his heinous crime.
He said, per KSAT's reports: "I was shocked, very shocked. This isn’t anywhere the suspect that we thought it was."
The father added: "This is a little boy, for reasons that I’m sure these counselors and case managers and all of that, that’s going to pick that poor little boy’s brain apart.
"He needs to be prayed on. He needs to be comforted ... He’s forgiven. And he can still be saved. He’s so young. He’s definitely tormented by something."
Police were called on April 12 by a Nixon-Smiley Independent School District principal about a student who threatened to assault and kill another student on a bus, and had also made a statement about shooting and killing a man two years ago.
After being interviewed by police and revealing details that were not publicly known, police traced the suspected weapon to a pawn shop that the child's grandfather had sold it to, and matched it to the spent shell casings that were collected at the scene of the murder.
Despite his confession, the boy will not be charged with the crime, as according to Texas law, a child cannot be responsible for a crime until they are 10 years old.
The victim's brother, Jonathan Fojtik, told KENS5: "Finding out it was a seven-year-old that committed the murder, a senseless murder at that, it’s just tragic. It’s kind of hard to wrap your head around.
"I feel like the boy knew exactly what he was doing. Why wasn’t the child being supervised more?"
After the confession, the boy was placed on a 72-hour emergency detention before being taken to a psychiatric hospital in San Antonio, Texas for evaluation and treatment. The sheriff's office stated it was "because of the severity of the crime and because of the continued concern for the child’s mental wellbeing the child."
While he can not be charged with the murder, he has since been booked on charges of making terroristic threats for the incident involving his classmate and is being held in county jail.
