Reading time: 2 minutes
Year after year, we read horror stories about parents starving one or several children, sometimes to death.
This story is different – but only to an extent.
A 7-year-old boy, who had never been to school, died with 255 pounds.
His parents were arrested on charges including murder and torture. He was not their only child.
He was only 7 years old
On November 4, 2025, a 911 call was called for emergency services in Flint Township, Michigan.
The call was to a child in distress.
7-year-old Casper was taken to the hospital.
Unfortunately, he died due to dilated cardiomyopathy.
Medical experts have found that one of the contributing causes is morbid obesity.
At age 7, Casper was 4-foot-2. This is slightly above average for his age, developmentally speaking.
According to the CDC (clearly this highly politicized organization has a high salt), a “healthy” weight for him would be less than 80 pounds.
At the time of his death, he reportedly weighed 255 pounds.
255 is smaller than some football players. Depending on a person’s build, this may be the ideal body weight for an adult.
For a 7 year old, it’s unhealthy. Authorities say this is evidence of a series of crimes committed by the late boy’s parents.
‘Harsh and intense suffering’
Damian O’Brien and Jessica O’Brien have been charged with a slew of crimes.
Charges include second-degree murder, child abuse and torture New York Post Reports.
According to Genesee County Prosecutor David Layton, it is a case of “the cruel and extreme suffering of this child due to parental neglect.”
In fact, Casper wasn’t the only child in the house. The O’Briens also have a 5-year-old daughter.
They allegedly never enrolled Casper in school, effectively hiding both children — and their well-being — from society. And now one of those children has died.
The O’Briens are scheduled to appear in court on July 2.
It is unclear what type of legal defense they will attempt in relation to these charges.
Additionally, it is unclear how much evidence investigators uncovered regarding the well-being of both children prior to Casper’s tragic death.
Every death of a child is a tragedy. Many, perhaps most, of these deaths are preventable.
If our society had stronger protections for children, this likely would not have happened.
