MI 7-Year-Old Died Weighing 255 Pounds, Parents Charged With Murder: Reports

FLINT, MI — The parents of a 7-year-old Michigan boy who weighed 255 pounds when he died are now facing multiple charges in connection with his death, according to multiple reports citing prosecutors.

Damien O’Brien, 40, and Jessica O’Brien, 41, were arraigned this week on charges including second-degree murder, torture and three counts of second-degree child abuse in the death of their son, Casper, MLive reported.

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Court records allege the couple failed to provide adequate care for their son, who was immobile, and did not seek medical treatment for him before his death, despite having health insurance.

Prosecutors also allege the couple failed to address their son's morbid obesity and provide him with a safe, clean living environment.

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

Reports said Casper died after Flint police went to his family's home for a report of a child in distress. The boy was taken to Hurley Medical Center, where he died a short time later.

The boy died of dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that can lead to heart failure, with morbid obesity listed as a contributing factor, reports said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a healthy weight for a 7-year-old boy who is 50.5 inches tall generally ranges from 50 to 73 pounds.

The O'Briens are being held at the Genesee County Jail on no bond. They are due back in court on July 2.