Christopher Gregor Monroe Township, NJ father charged with murder of 6 year old son after ongoing abuse including forcing boy to run on treadmill and suffering blunt force trauma.
A NJ man who taunted his 6 year old son and forced him to run on a treadmill for being ‘too fat’ along with other abuses has been charged with the boy’s murder.
Christopher Gregor of Monroe Township come Wednesday was charged with first degree murder in connection to the 6 year old boy’s death last April- who prosecutors say had shown signs of abuse. At the time of the father’s arrest on Wednesday, Gregor had already been charged with child endangerment in the case.
The 6-year-old, Corey Micciolo was pronounced dead at Southern Ocean Medical Center on April 2, 2021, with the medical examiner later determining that the child suffered injuries from blunt force trauma. While investigating the death, law enforcement officials found that Gregor had allegedly abused the child in Barnegat, and charged the 29-year-old with endangering the welfare of a child.
On March 3, 2022, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office received a report indicating that the child died as a result of injuries to his chest and abdomen, and that the manner of death for C.M. was ruled to be homicide according to NBCNY.
An investigation found that Gregor was in custody of the child when he suffered the ultimately life-ending injuries, and was responsible for the boy’s death, officials said.
#JusticeForCorey 👏👏👏
Christopher Gregor, the father of 6-year-old Corey Micciolo who died in April has been charged with murder. The charges stem from abuse out of his apartment at the Atlantic Heights apartment complex in Barnegat Township.
Throw away the key! pic.twitter.com/kkk0tPYef5— 🇺🇦🌻True Crime Sisters🌻🇺🇦 (@TrueCrimeSister) March 9, 2022
Boy told doctor his dad put bruises on him
Investigators determined that Gregor had abused his son after they obtained surveillance video from the Atlantic Heights Clubhouse fitness center on March 20, the Asbury Park Press reported.
Footage showed Corey running on a treadmill while his father increased its speed, taunting him for being ‘too fat,’ leading the child to keep falling because he couldn’t keep up with the pace, according to an affidavit of probable cause cited by the paper.
At one point, Gregor ‘appears to bite’ the struggling boy on his head when he placed him back on the treadmill, the document states.
Gregor turned himself in and was held briefly at Ocean County Jail following a July 9 arrest on the charge of endangering the welfare of a child. He was released while the investigation continued.
Breanna Micciolo, Corey’s mother, who is separated from Gregor and shared the joint custody of the boy, told a caseworker with the state’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency about her concerns regarding the child’s injuries.
After taking the boy to a doctor upon the advise of Child Protection, the six year old told the doctor that ‘his dad had put the bruises on him’ and that the injuries were caused by playing football and running on the treadmill.
On March 3, the prosecutor’s office was notified by its expert witness that the boy died of blunt force trauma to the chest and abdomen, and determined his death was a homicide, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Father denies abusing son
Barnegat detectives, county investigators and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office found that the boy was in Gregor’s custody when he suffered the injuries that killed him and that Gregor was responsible for the death, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said without elaborating.
‘I’m thankful for the collective effort of all of the law enforcement officers that participated in this very thorough and comprehensive investigation over the past 11 months. Today is the first step in bringing the person we believe is responsible for this young boy’s death to justice,’ Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.
Gregor’s attorney, Mario Gallucci, said his client denies having anything to do with the death.
‘It took eight months for the prosecutor’s office to find an expert witness that agreed with their narrative. We’ll have our own experts,’ he told the Asbury Park Press.
Gregor remains in jail pending a detention hearing.
