Couple charged with homicide after son, 7, dies weighing 17 stone – ‘solely ate chips’
Casper O’Brien was reportedly immobile and weighed more than 17 stone (113kg) when he died in November 2025. His parents, Damien and Jessica O’Brien, have been charged with second-degree murder and child abuse charges in connection with his death.
Casper O’Brien tragically died (Image: Sharp Funeral Homes)
An American couple have been charged with murder following the death of their 7-year-old son who weighed a staggering 17 stone (113kg). Damien and Jessica O’Brien are accused of inflicting severe physical harm on their reportedly immobile son, according to a complaint lodged by the Genesee county prosecutor’s office.
Emergency services were alerted to young Casper’s plight after receiving a distressing 911 call about a child not breathing at a residence in Flint township, Michigan, on November 4, 2025. The boy tragically passed away after being rushed to hospital.
The couple were subsequently charged with second degree murder and multiple counts of child abuse. If found guilty, the O’Briens could be looking at life behind bars. “It was reported that the decedent’s diet was potato chips and fries because of texture issues,” deputy medical examiner John A Bechinski wrote in a forensic autopsy report, according to Michigan news outlet MLive.
At the time of his death, the seven-year-old was said to have weighed 255lbs while being just 4ft 2.5in tall and living in an unsafe environment. Police said they found the boy in a makeshift bed was shared by four family members.
David Leyton, a Genesee county prosecutor, said: “The situation at the house was just deplorable conditions really difficult situation involving hoarding.”
Authorities also alleged the Michigan also couple failed to take Casper to a doctor, despite Mr O’Brien having health insurance for the entire family through his stable job.
A forensic autopsy report stated that Casper was last examined by his primary care physician in February 2024, when he was referred to a pediatric endocrinologist. But it stated that Casper’s parents never brought him to that appointment.
Court records show the couple also face a charge of second-degree child abuse involving a five-year-old girl, reports NBC News.
