Prosecutors in Michigan have charged the parents of a seven-year-old boy with murder, torture, and child abuse after the child died weighing 116 kilograms (255 pounds).
“Clearly the parents were feeding the child improperly, to say the least,” stated Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton on Monday. “He wasn’t getting the nutrition he needed.”
Emergency services were called to the family’s Flint residence in November when Casper O’Brien stopped breathing; the child passed away shortly thereafter.
His parents, 40-year-old Damien O’Brien and 41-year-old Jessica O’Brien, are each facing charges of second-degree murder, torture, and three counts of second-degree child abuse.
The couple was arraigned last week and remains held without bond in a Genesee County jail, located approximately an hour northwest of Detroit. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
According to the Genesee County Medical Examiner’s report, the child—who stood 128cm (4ft 2.5 inches) tall—was medically classified as obese. The official cause of death was listed as dilated cardiomyopathy, with the child’s weight cited as a contributing factor.
