Little Corey Micciolo's tragic murder: NJ boy had 'busted lip' after meeting dad Christopher Gregor for first time
Trigger warning: The following article contains graphic content that some readers may find traumatic. Discretion is advised.
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BARNEGAT, NEW JERSEY: Christopher Gregor, 31, is currently facing trial for the 2021 murder of his son Corey Micciolo, 6, before his death from blunt force trauma.
According to the Daily Mail, Gregor had met the child for the first time a year before the reported incident. Recently, attention has been drawn to footage presented in court showing interactions between the man and the boy when the latter fell from the treadmill.
Archived text messages from the boy’s mother have emerged now, alleging Gregor's callous response to concerns about his treatment of the child. Corey's mother also shared the bruised pictures of him on Facebook when calling for justice.
Christopher Gregor did not meet Corey until he was 5
The court learned that it is unclear the exact timing of Gregor’s first meeting with Corey’s mother Breanna Micciolo who testified this week. However, it was reported that Gregor was not involved in the boy's life until he turned five years old.
Corey has been described as playful and fond of the solar system, and he was cherished by his mother and enjoyed spending time outdoors. Following their initial encounter, Corey allegedly returned home to his mother with a "busted lip." Despite Breanna's skepticism regarding Gregor's explanation that he accidentally kicked their son while playing soccer, a DCPP caseworker accepted it without further investigation.
Micciolo alleged that for over a year after their first meeting, Corey was subjected to regular abuse by Gregor. Micciolo also reportedly suspected that Gregor was using a treadmill as a form of punishment during their visitations.
Breanna Micciolo shared photos of Corey's bruises and injuries
The mother posted pictures on her Facebook group showing bruises, scratches, and scrapes on her son's body. She wondered if it was because of wrong policies or not following them.
She claimed on Facebook, "Corey had those CLEAR signs of abuse many many times all different incidents,' she captioned the post. 'Is it the policy that is wrong or is it just them not following it?"
The reported abuse came to an end on April 2, 2021, shortly after Macciolo left Corey at his father's residence. Hours later, the child allegedly woke up feeling nauseous and disoriented after a nap.
He died hours later in the hospital, with a forensic pathologist determining that Corey's cause of death was blunt force trauma. His father's attorney Mario Galuucci claimed he died from pneumonia.
"(But) Corey’s death had absolutely nothing to do with that treadmill." In one instance shown in court, the father appeared to force his son to run on a treadmill. Corey kept falling off, and his father lifted him back on. The father also seemed to bite his son's head.
According to the warrant, "Specifically by having (Corey) run on a treadmill and increasing the speed, causing (Corey) to fall, placing (him) back on the moving treadmill while appearing to bite his head, causing the said child to fall several more times." His attorney said this didn't cause Corey's death.
The mother noticed bruises and scratches on Corey after trips to the gym, even warning authorities since July 2020.
Gregor was arrested for child neglect, with the gym video as evidence. In September, a doctor ruled Corey's death was a homicide from chronic abuse, not pneumonia as claimed by his father. On March 9, 2022, the Gregor's charges were upgraded to murder.
