Christopher Gregor, a father from New Jersey, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for forcing his 6-year-old son, Corey Micciolo, to run on a treadmill at high speed, resulting in injuries that led to the boy’s death. Surveillance footage from March 20, 2021, played during Gregor’s trial showed Corey falling multiple times on the moving treadmill belt as his father continued to force him to run. At one point, Gregor is seen biting Corey’s head. Corey’s mother, Breanna Micciolo, testified that she filed for emergency custody after seeing her son’s bruises and learning about the treadmill incident, as she feared for Corey’s life.
Despite Breanna Micciolo’s concerns, a doctor who examined Corey found no signs of infection or respiratory distress and released him back into his mother’s care. Gregor accused Micciolo of kidnapping their son when she missed the drop-off deadline during a custody exchange. The next day, Gregor called Micciolo to inform her that Corey was sick and had been taken to the hospital. Surveillance footage from the hospital lobby showed Gregor carrying his son, who suffered seizures and was pronounced dead later that day. Gregor was initially charged with child endangerment in July 2021, but was charged with Corey’s murder in March 2022 after a state expert witness determined that the boy’s death was the result of blunt force trauma.
During his sentencing hearing, Gregor expressed regret for not bringing Corey to the hospital sooner and claimed that the incident did not represent who he truly was or his relationship with his son. He maintained that he loved Corey and had fond memories of him. However, Breanna Micciolo rejected Gregor’s apology and urged the court to give him the maximum sentence, as she felt he showed no remorse for his actions. She wore a T-shirt that read, “There is no excuse for abuse,” and spoke about the nightmare she has been living since Corey’s death, expressing fear that Gregor would come after her and her family upon his release from prison.
Ultimately, the judge sentenced Gregor to 25 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter and endangering a child in Corey’s death. Micciolo emphasized that Gregor had stolen her family’s happiness and that they would never fully heal from the loss of Corey. She lamented that her daughter would never get to meet her brother, and her boyfriend would never have the chance to be the father figure that Gregor failed to be to Corey. Gregor’s actions had a lasting impact on the family, and Micciolo sought justice for her son by speaking out against the abuse she and Corey endured.
