Flint Township couple faces second-degree murder, torture, child abuse charges

A Flint Township couple has been charged with second-degree murder after their 7-year-old son died last year weighing 255 pounds. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said the charges reflect years of extreme neglect and abuse.

Damien O'Brien, 40, and Jessica O'Brien, 41, are being held without bond at the Genesee County Jail. They are scheduled to appear in court on July 2.

"On the face of it, this is cruel and extreme suffering from this child caused by the neglect of the parents," Leyton told WJRT. "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."

The day Casper O'Brien died

Police in Flint Township responded to a call about a child in distress on Nov. 4, 2025. Paramedics found Casper Jacob Shane O'Brien having difficulty breathing. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy determined the cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease. Morbid obesity was listed as a contributing factor, according to USA Today.

At the time of his death, Casper was 4 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 255 pounds. According to the CDC, a healthy weight for a boy his age and height ranges between 50 and 73 pounds.

"What we allege is that he was not fed in a nutritious way," Leyton told WNEM-TV5. "He was neglected and he was abused."

A home prosecutors called a hoarding situation

Prosecutors said first responders found Casper living in conditions police described as a hoarding situation. The child had little room to move and was immobile, according to charging documentation reported by WNEM-TV5.

Casper did not have a pediatrician. Leyton said the boy was taken to a doctor only once. The children had never attended school.

The same morning Casper died, the parents called their veterinarian to treat their dog, according to Birmingham Mail citing Mirror US.

"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," Leyton said.

Charges include torture and child abuse

The O'Briens face the following charges, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton and local reporting from ABC12 and WNEM-TV5:

  • Second-degree murder
  • Torture
  • Three counts of second-degree child abuse

One of the child abuse counts involves the couple's 5-year-old daughter. Local media reported she was described as morbidly obese and was found with knots in her hair, dirty and unclothed when police arrived at the home.

Under Michigan law, each parent could face a maximum sentence of life in prison for second-degree murder, according to KXAN.

A community mourns

Casper's obituary remembered him as "a bright, loving young boy whose joyful spirit touched everyone around him," according to Daily Crime Post.

The Flint Police Department has not released additional details about the investigation. The case is moving forward in Genesee County Circuit Court.