Topline: Two Flint Township parents are facing murder, torture and child abuse charges after prosecutors said their 7-year-old son died weighing 255 pounds in deplorable conditions.
Published: June 29, 2026 8:30 am ET
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GENESEE COUNTY, MI — Damien O’Brien and Jessica O’Brien are facing second-degree murder, torture and multiple child abuse charges after authorities said their 7-year-old son died weighing 255 pounds and living in deplorable conditions.
According to reporting from WNEM, prosecutors said the child was immobile, suffered serious physical harm and was not taken to a doctor, while his parents also failed to provide a safe environment before his death.
The Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office said law enforcement began investigating the parents on Nov. 4, 2025.
Court records show the couple is also charged with second-degree child abuse in the presence of another child, a 5-year-old girl who authorities said was also morbidly obese, dirty, had knots in her hair and was found naked outside by law enforcement.
Additional coverage cited by local and national outlets said the boy died after suffering heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy, with morbid obesity listed as a contributing factor, and that he stood about 4 feet 2 inches tall at the time of his death.
Prosecutors have said the case involves extraordinary neglect. If convicted, Damien O’Brien and Jessica O’Brien could each face life in prison.
The couple is being held in the Genesee County Jail without bond and is scheduled to return to court July 2.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Michigan Parents Accused of Murder After 7-Year-Old Son Died With ‘Morbid Obesity,’ Weighing 255 Pounds
Two Flint Township parents are facing murder, torture and child abuse charges after prosecutors said their 7-year-old son died weighing 255 pounds in deplorable conditions.
By Silvia Torres
Published: June 29, 2026 8:30 am ET
GENESEE COUNTY, MI — Damien O’Brien and Jessica O’Brien are facing second-degree murder, torture and multiple child abuse charges after authorities said their 7-year-old son died weighing 255 pounds and living in deplorable conditions.
According to reporting from WNEM, prosecutors said the child was immobile, suffered serious physical harm and was not taken to a doctor, while his parents also failed to provide a safe environment before his death.
The Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office said law enforcement began investigating the parents on Nov. 4, 2025.
Court records show the couple is also charged with second-degree child abuse in the presence of another child, a 5-year-old girl who authorities said was also morbidly obese, dirty, had knots in her hair and was found naked outside by law enforcement.
Additional coverage cited by local and national outlets said the boy died after suffering heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy, with morbid obesity listed as a contributing factor, and that he stood about 4 feet 2 inches tall at the time of his death.
Prosecutors have said the case involves extraordinary neglect. If convicted, Damien O’Brien and Jessica O’Brien could each face life in prison.
The couple is being held in the Genesee County Jail without bond and is scheduled to return to court July 2.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Michigan Parents Accused of Murder After 7-Year-Old Son Died With ‘Morbid Obesity,’ Weighing 255 Pounds
Two Flint Township parents are facing murder, torture and child abuse charges after prosecutors said their 7-year-old son died weighing 255 pounds in deplorable conditions.
By Silvia Torres
Published: June 29, 2026 8:30 am ET
GENESEE COUNTY, MI — Damien O’Brien and Jessica O’Brien are facing second-degree murder, torture and multiple child abuse charges after authorities said their 7-year-old son died weighing 255 pounds and living in deplorable conditions.
According to reporting from WNEM, prosecutors said the child was immobile, suffered serious physical harm and was not taken to a doctor, while his parents also failed to provide a safe environment before his death.
The Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office said law enforcement began investigating the parents on Nov. 4, 2025.
Court records show the couple is also charged with second-degree child abuse in the presence of another child, a 5-year-old girl who authorities said was also morbidly obese, dirty, had knots in her hair and was found naked outside by law enforcement.
Additional coverage cited by local and national outlets said the boy died after suffering heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy, with morbid obesity listed as a contributing factor, and that he stood about 4 feet 2 inches tall at the time of his death.
Prosecutors have said the case involves extraordinary neglect. If convicted, Damien O’Brien and Jessica O’Brien could each face life in prison.
The couple is being held in the Genesee County Jail without bond and is scheduled to return to court July 2.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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