Lawyers dispute child’s cause of death in ‘treadmill abuse’ murder case

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI
Associated Press

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — The murder trial of a New Jersey dad charged in the death of his 6-year-old son has begun with prosecutors and defense lawyers disputing what caused the boy’s death. Ocean County prosecutors argue that Corey Micciolo died from blunt force trauma he suffered when 31-year-old Christopher Gregor forced him to run on a treadmill in March 2021. The workout was captured on surveillance video which shows Gregor continually increasing the treadmill’s speed, causing his son to fall off it face-first about six times. Gregor’s lawyer, Mario Gallucci, says their medical experts will testify that the child’s death was due to sepsis caused by pneumonia.