NEWARK, NJ – On Friday, 31-year-old Christopher Gregor was found guilty of manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child in a case involving his 6-year-old son’s death while running on a treadmill. Gregor, a New Jersey teacher, not only escaped the more severe charge of murder but potentially a life sentence as well.
In what seems to have been a rigorously viewed piece of evidence during the trial, a surveillance video showed Gregor manipulating the treadmill speed, resulting in his young son Corey Micciolo’s continual falls. The video also showed Gregor placing Corey back on the treadmill after being thrown off by the elevated speed and incline.
The verdict was brought down after five hours of deliberation, where the jury rejected the murder charge, a conviction that typically results in a life sentence. Now facing only a 10 to 30-year prison term, Gregor is scheduled for sentencing on August 2.
Defense attorney Mario Gallucci indicated that Gregor, while having anticipated a guilty verdict, still maintains his innocence and plans to appeal the ruling. He further argued that his client was not surprised by the outcome, stating it is “just the first step in a long battle.”
Following the chilling case was a grueling four-week trial which unpacked horrific details about Corey’s short-lived life. Apart from the treadmill incident, it surfaced during court proceedings that Gregor had only recently learned of Corey’s existence when the boy was five years old.
This was due to Corey’s mother, Breanna Micciolo’s custody loss because of drug addiction. Following the loss, Gregor strangely used this as a weapon and blamed Micciolo for their son’s death.
Gregor attempted to deny advances towards Corey’s gruesome death by referring to an inaccurate medical justification for his son’s sudden death, claiming Corey succumbed to what the doctors thought was “internal bleeding.”