Overview
- Genesee County prosecutors filed second‑degree murder, torture and multiple child‑abuse counts against Damien and Jessica O’Brien late in June 2026; the couple were arraigned, are held without bond and a probable‑cause hearing is set for Thursday.
- The county medical examiner listed dilated cardiomyopathy as the cause of death and cited extreme morbid obesity as a contributing condition after the 7‑year‑old, Casper O’Brien, was found to weigh 255 pounds when he died.
- Prosecutors say Casper was nonverbal and bedridden with severe bed sores and rashes, and they allege the parents fed him a steady diet of snack foods, failed to follow medical referrals and did not provide exercise or a sanitary home.
- One child‑abuse count concerns the O’Briens’ 5‑year‑old daughter, who was found in poor condition and has been placed in foster care, according to court documents.
- The case raises questions about missed oversight because records show Casper saw a doctor in February 2024, weighed about 104 pounds then and was referred to a pediatric endocrinologist he never saw, and investigators and prosecutors say that failure to get care helped prompt criminal charges.