A Flint Township couple has been charged with murder and child neglect in connection with the death of their 7-year-old son, officials said.
Authorities said the two failed to care for their son, who weighed 255 pounds when he died in November.
Damien Michael O’Brien and Jessica Mary O’Brien were arraigned Wednesday through the 67th District Court in Flint on charges of second-degree murder, child torture, and three counts of second-degree child abuse, according to the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office.
They are scheduled to appear in court for a probable cause hearing on Thursday.
“This was a sad and horrific case involving the wanton and willful neglect by two parents for the care, welfare, and medical needs of their son,” Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said in a statement. “Their neglect led to their child suffering severe bed sores, various rashes, and other physical health disorders, including extreme morbid obesity that ultimately led to his early death.”
If convicted, they face up to life in prison for the second-degree murder charge, up to life for the torture charge, and up to 10 years for the child abuse charge.
Prosecutors said in their complaint filed against the couple that before he died, their son was “was immobile because the defendant failed to provide proper nutrition to the victim, failed to take the victim to the doctor for treatment even though defendant had health care for all of his family, failed to provide a regiment of exercise to assist the victim, and failed to provide a safe and clean environment for the victim.”
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Genesee Co. parents charged in death of 255-pound son
Reporting by Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
