Overview
- Genesee County prosecutors filed second-degree murder, child abuse and torture charges against Damien and Jessica O’Brien after a forensic autopsy identified dilated cardiomyopathy with extreme morbid obesity as a cause or contributing factor in their son Casper’s death on Nov. 4, 2025.
- Investigators say Casper weighed 255 pounds at about 4 feet 2 inches, was largely immobile, had bed sores, and had been fed a highly restricted diet of snacks and fries, details used by the prosecutor to allege prolonged, severe neglect.
- Authorities described the family home as a hoarding and filthy environment and said neither child had been enrolled in school or seen by Child Protective Services before Casper’s death, despite the family having employment and health insurance.
- The O’Briens were arraigned and are being held without bond in the Genesee County Jail; a probable-cause hearing is scheduled for early July with the next court date listed as July 2.
- Child Protective Services removed the couple’s five-year-old daughter into temporary foster care and the case raises questions about how medical, school and social systems missed signs of extreme neglect over time.