By Jamie Stengle
Associated Press
June 30, 2026 - 6:50 am
The parents of a 7-year-old Michigan lad who weighed 255 pounds (116 kilograms) erstwhile helium died person been charged with murder, torture and kid abuse, prosecutors said.
“Clearly the parents were feeding the kid improperly, to accidental the least,” Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said Monday. “He wasn’t getting the nutrition helium needed.”
Casper O’Brien died past November aft archetypal responders were called to the family’s location successful Flint due to the fact that he’d stopped breathing, prosecutors said. His parents — Damien O’Brien, 40, and Jessica O’Brien, 41 — person each been charged with second-degree murder, torture and 3 counts of second-degree kid abuse.
The mates were arraigned past week and are being held connected nary enslaved successful jailhouse successful Genesee County, astir an hour’s thrust northwest of Detroit. A probable origin proceeding is acceptable for Thursday.
The child, who was 4 feet, 2.5 inches (128 centimeters) tall, was medically classified arsenic obese, according to the Genesee County Medical Examiner’s report. His origin of decease was listed arsenic dilated cardiomyopathy, with his value being a contributing condition. Dilated cardiomyopathy happens erstwhile the bosom becomes enlarged and weakened and can’t efficiently pump blood, which tin impact different assemblage systems including the lungs.
According to the transgression complaints, the parents failed to instrumentality Casper for attraction adjacent though the household had wellness care.
Elias Fanous, an lawyer representing Damien O’Brien, said successful a connection that helium wouldn’t speculate connected the case’s circumstances and had nary remark beyond saying that his lawsuit was “innocent until proven blameworthy beyond a tenable uncertainty successful a tribunal of law.” An lawyer for Jessica O’Brien did not instantly instrumentality a petition for remark Monday.
Leyton said authorities judge Casper conscionable consumed “a dependable fare of snack foods.” He said Casper, who was nonverbal and bedridden, had terrible furniture sores and assorted rashes.
The autopsy study said instrumentality enforcement and Child Protective Services reported determination were piles of trash successful the home, and Casper was not enrolled successful school. Leyton said the hoarding successful the location was “terrible.”
One of the kid maltreatment charges relates to the couple’s 5-year-old daughter, who was placed successful foster care.
Casper past saw his superior attraction supplier successful February 2024, according to the autopsy report, erstwhile helium was diagnosed with a cough, congestion and metabolic disease. At that visit, helium weighed 104 pounds (47 kilograms), and his parent was fixed accusation connected a steadfast fare and exercise, according to the report, which said helium was referred to a pediatric endocrinologist but ne'er saw one. The study said the metabolic illness wasn’t specified successful disposable aesculapian records.
“It’s a very, precise bittersweet and tragic situation,” Leyton said. “I’ve been the prosecuting lawyer for 22 years and I thought I’d seen it each but I’ve ne'er seen thing rather similar this.”
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