Christopher Gregor: Footage shows NJ dad carrying son Corey Micciolo's limp body to hospital hours before boy's death

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

BARNEGAT, NEW JERSEY: Christopher Gregor, a New Jersey father, was seen carrying the 6-year-old boy's limp body into a hospital just before he died. It is suspected that Christopher Gregor, 31, killed his son by forcing him to endure a torturous treadmill workout.

Tragic events that were caught on camera during Christoper Gregor's trial showed him approaching the front desk of Southern Ocean Medical Center on April 2, 2021, while carrying Corey Micciolo's small, bruised body.

Nurse says that Corey Micciolo was at 'end-of-life breaths' when brought to hospital

In court, Corey's registered nurse, William Doyle, stated that Corey looked "dire, almost end-of-life breaths" and barely moved as he slumped in his father's arms. Doyle was a registered nurse on duty at the time.

Doyle testified in court that the boy "was not showing any signs that he was verbal," tilting his head backward as he was taken into an examination room, according to the Asbury Park Press. Doyle told jurors, “He was an all-hands-on-deck situation.”

Due to his injuries, Corey had a seizure during a CT scan. Doctors tried desperately to save Corey’s life, but they couldn’t. Shortly before 5 pm, Corey was pronounced dead. According to the results of the first autopsy, Corey died from blunt force injuries that included sepsis, acute inflammation, and contusions to his liver and heart.

Christopher Gregor allegedly forced son Corey to run on treadmill

Surveillance footage from two weeks prior showed Gregor forcing his son to endure a torturous exercise regimen at the Atlantic Heights Clubhouse fitness center because he felt the boy was too fat.

Corey was put on the treadmill by him, and he quickly increased the speed and incline until the boy took off.

In the footage, Gregor is seen picking him up and putting him back on the belt, appearing to bite Corey's head. The child stumbles another six times and struggles to keep up until his father finally reduces the speed. 

Christopher Gregor accused of neglecting a child

Breanna Micciolo, Corey's mother, who was in a custody battle with Gregor, testified during the trial at Ocean County Superior Court that she later discovered "odd-shaped" bruises on her son.

A judge denied her request for full custody the day before Corey's death.

She claimed she took him to a pediatrician, who did not really find anything to be concerned about, even though the boy told the doctor about the nature of the alleged abuse. Corey was so sick after waking up from a nap that day at the hospital that he stammered and spoke incoherently.

Three months later, Christopher Gregor of Barnegat, New Jersey, was taken into custody and accused of neglecting a child, partly due to the unsettling footage.

In September 2021, a forensic pathologist concluded that the child's death was a homicide brought on by ongoing abuse of the young child, which included lacerations to his heart and blunt force injuries to his chest and abdomen.

On March 9, 2022, Gregor was taken into custody on murder charges related to Corey's death. The father now faces life in prison if found guilty after turning down a 30-year plea deal.

Christopher Gregor was previously arrested for assaulting 2 male students

Gregor, a former college football star and youth mentor met his son Corey in 2019 when he was a 5-year-old boy, according to New York Post.

Gregor claimed he accidentally kicked Corey while playing soccer, leading to multiple reports to NJ Child Protective Services. Micciolo, a grieving mother, filed multiple reports and was suspicious that Gregor was using a treadmill to punish him.

Corey's father attended Monroe Township High School and was part of the district's Heroes and Cool Kids mentorship program. He was arrested in 2010 for stealing and assaulting two male students.

He received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Arizona and a master's in secondary education and teaching from Johns Hopkins University School of Education.