US parents charged with murder in death of 7-year-old son who weighed 116kg
The parents of a seven-year-old Michigan boy who weighed 116 kilograms (255 pounds) when he died have been charged with murder, torture and child abuse, prosecutors said.
“Clearly the parents were feeding the child improperly, to say the least,” Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said on Monday. “He wasn’t getting the nutrition he needed.”
Casper O’Brien died in November after first responders were called to the family’s home in Flint because he had stopped breathing, prosecutors said.
His parents – Damien O’Brien, 40, and Jessica O’Brien, 41 – have each been charged with second-degree murder, torture and three counts of second-degree child abuse.
The couple were arraigned last week and are being held on no bond in jail in Genesee County, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit. A probable cause hearing is set for Thursday.
The child, who was 128cm (4ft, 2.5 inches) tall, was medically classified as obese, according to the Genesee County Medical Examiner’s report.
His cause of death was listed as dilated cardiomyopathy, with his weight being a contributing condition.