Michigan parents charged with murder in death of neglected 7-year-old son

Casper O'Brien, a 7-year-old Flint Township boy, had seen a doctor only once and was never enrolled in school before his death. Damien O'Brien, 40, and Jessica O'Brien, 41, now face second-degree murder, torture and three counts of second-degree child abuse in the case.

Casper died on Nov. 4, 2025, after a 911 call from the family’s Flint Township home. He was taken to a hospital and later died there. The charging documents list Casper as 50.5 inches tall and 255 pounds, bedridden and nonverbal. The cause of death was listed as dilated cardiomyopathy, with morbid obesity named as a contributing factor.

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton called the case “cruel and extreme suffering” and “extraordinary, terrible neglect.” The family had health insurance, but Casper had been taken to a doctor only once and had never been enrolled in school. Leyton called the neglect willful and wanton misconduct. Children's Protective Services had never visited, and the family had not reported the children to school officials.

A 5-year-old sister was removed from the home by Children's Protective Services and placed in temporary foster care. Police found the house filthy and in hoarding conditions. The girl was dirty, had knots in her hair and was running outside without clothes; Leyton also called the child “like a feral child” when police arrived. The family called a veterinarian for a sick dog the morning Casper went into cardiac arrest, while not taking the children to a doctor.

Damien O'Brien and Jessica O'Brien are scheduled to return to Genesee County court on July 2, 2026.