{"id":7098,"date":"2026-06-27T23:40:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T23:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/parents-arrested-for-murder-after-letting-son-7-get-to-18-stone-before-he-died\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T23:40:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T23:40:21","slug":"parents-arrested-for-murder-after-letting-son-7-get-to-18-stone-before-he-died","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/parents-arrested-for-murder-after-letting-son-7-get-to-18-stone-before-he-died\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents arrested for murder after letting son, 7, get to 18 stone before he died"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_940723\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Casper O&#8217;Brien, 7, died weighing 255 pounds, his parents, Damien and Jessica O&#8217;Brien, have been arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, child abuse, and torture<\/h2>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37357611\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Casper O'Brein\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357611.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357611.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/2_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357611.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/2_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357611.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Casper was 255 lbs at 7-years-old and had never been to school, while living in what police describe as a 'hoarding' situation with his sister\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Casper was 255 lbs at 7-years-old and had never been to school, while living in what police describe as a &#8216;hoarding&#8217; situation with his sister<cite aria-label=\"Image: Sharp Funeral Homes\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Sharp Funeral Homes)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A Michigan couple has been arrested on suspicion of second-degree <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/murder\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">murder<\/a>, child abuse, and torture following the death of their seven-year-old son.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Casper, who weighed 255lb, died heart failure on 4 November 2025. Officers say they arrived at a run-down property belonging to Damien O&#8217;Brien, 40, and his wife Jessica O&#8217;Brien, 41, after receiving a 911 call about the child&#8217;s deteriorating condition. Casper was taken to hospital where he died from &#8220;dilated cardiomyopathy with morbid <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/obesity\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">obesity <\/a>as a contributing factor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;On the face of it, this is cruel and extreme suffering from this child caused by the neglect of the <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/parenting\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">parents<\/a>,&#8221; Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton told WJRT. &#8220;That is obesity. This child did not have a pediatrician, was only taken to the doctor, I believe &#8230; once.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37357610\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37357610\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"An individual with a beard and mustache, dressed in an orange prison-issue shirt, stares directly into the camera with a somber expression.\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357610.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357610.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357610.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357610.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Damien O\u2019Brien\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Damien O\u2019Brien<cite aria-label=\"Image: Flint Township\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Flint Township)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The pair have another daughter, five year old Illeana O&#8217;Brien. Officers added that neither child had attended school and seldom saw a doctor, while their home was described as a hoarding situation. Yet Leyton reveals that the couple did ring their dog&#8217;s vet for treatment on the very morning that Casper died, reports <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.themirror.com\/news\/us-news\/hoarder-parents-charged-murder-after-1907568\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">the Mirror US<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;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,&#8221; says Leyton.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I can&#8217;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,&#8221; added the prosecutor. At the time of his death, Casper measured 4 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 255 pounds \u2014 significantly exceeding what the CDC regards as a healthy weight for a 7 year old boy of the same height, which is typically between 50 and 73 pounds.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37357612\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37357612\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"An individual is captured in a close-up portrait, wearing a yellow garment typically associated with institutional attire. The subject has short hair, wears rectangular glasses with a dark frame, and is looking directly into the camera with a neutral expression. The background is plain and monochromatic, emphasizing the subject's attire and facial features.\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357612.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357612.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357612.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37357612.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\" Jessica O\u2019Brien\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\"> Jessica O\u2019Brien<cite aria-label=\"Image: Flint Township\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Flint Township)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Damien O&#8217;Brien is recorded as holding a stable job with health insurance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A memorial page listing the boy&#8217;s funeral for November 6 2025 portrayed him as a warm and cheerful child. &#8220;Casper was a bright, loving young boy whose joyful spirit touched everyone around him. He loved watching Super Monsters, especially his favorite character, Frankie Mash,&#8221; the site said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The pair are currently being held without bond at Genesee County Jail, with their next court appearance scheduled for July 2.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/us-news\/parents-arrested-murder-son-7-37357613\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Casper O&#8217;Brien, 7, died weighing 255 pounds, his parents, Damien and Jessica O&#8217;Brien, have been<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7099,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2_MIRROR-Hoarder-parents-face-murder-charges-old-dies-from-heart-failure-linked-to-severe-obesity.jp.avif","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7098\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}