US: Father jailed for causing son's death via treadmill workouts
Christopher Gregor, a father from New Jersey, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for causing the death of his son through abusive treadmill workouts. The sentence was delivered following a four-week trial and nearly three-and-a-half years after the death of his six-year-old son, Corey Micciolo, in April 2021. In May, Gregor was found guilty of child endangerment and manslaughter.
Evidence of child endangerment
The trial revealed a video showing Gregor increasing the speed on a treadmill, causing his son to fall off six times. The prosecution argued that Gregor forced these workouts on Corey because he believed the boy was overweight. On April 2, Corey woke up from a nap appearing nauseated and disoriented, with surveillance footage later showing Gregor carrying his son's limp body into the hospital shortly before his death.
Medical testimony
A registered nurse testified that Corey was non-verbal and his head tilted backwards during the examination. The injuries were so severe that Corey suffered a seizure during a CT scan, prompting emergency measures from the medical staff. Despite these efforts, Corey was pronounced dead shortly before 5:00pm.
Father denies responsibility
During his sentencing, Gregor denied causing his son's death, stating, "I did nothing to cause Corey's passing. I didn't hurt my son. I loved him, and I still do." Corey's mother, Breanna Micciolo, rejected Gregor's apology and called him a "monster" who had made her life "an absolute living nightmare." She lamented the loss of her son saying that her family will never feel whole again.
Mother's attempt for custody and father's accusation
Micciolo had filed for emergency custody on March 31 after discovering the abusive workouts and seeing her son's bruises. However, Gregor accused her of kidnapping their son when she missed the 7 pm drop-off time. The following day, Gregor informed Micciolo that their son was sick and had been admitted to a hospital, showing no remorse in surveillance footage as he carried his unconscious son into the hospital.
