Father Sentenced to 25 Years for Forcing 6-Year-Old Son to Use Treadmill, Leading to Death

Harboring Grudge Against Divorced Wife, Child Abuse of Son
Forcing Him onto Treadmill for Being Overweight
Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison... Early Release Also Prohibited

A man in his 30s in the United States was sentenced to 25 years in prison for abusing his son by forcibly putting him on a treadmill because he thought his son was overweight, leading to the child's death. According to media outlets including the New York Post, "On the 3rd (local time), a New Jersey court sentenced Christopher Gregor (32) to 25 years in prison for continuously abusing his 6-year-old son, Cory Michiollo, resulting in his death." Gregor was sentenced to 20 years for involuntary manslaughter and 5 years for child abuse, with early release prohibited, requiring him to serve at least 85% of his sentence.

[Image source=YouTube channel 'Court TV' capture]

Gregor's son, Cory, was transported to a hospital in Stafford Township, New Jersey, on April 2, 2021, complaining of breathing difficulties. Cory reportedly died from severe seizures within an hour of arriving at the hospital. An autopsy revealed the cause of death as contusions on the heart and liver accompanied by acute inflammation and sepsis. At the time, Gregor was involved in a custody battle with his wife due to a divorce lawsuit, and it was reported that Gregor and his wife had a major argument after Cory, who had met with his mother the day before the incident, returned home later than expected.

Earlier, police arrested Gregor on charges of child abuse, but after the autopsy revealed Cory's cause of death was trauma, murder charges were added. During the trial, CCTV footage showing Cory alive was released, capturing Gregor forcing his son to run quickly on a treadmill. Gregor defended himself by saying, "I thought my son was too fat." Meanwhile, his wife revealed, "I knew my son was being abused by his father and reported it 100 times over 18 months, but the authorities did not provide any help."

In court that day, Gregor claimed, "I did nothing to cause my son's death, nor did I hurt him. I love him," adding, "I only regret not taking him to the hospital sooner." His wife argued, "Everything he did to Cory was done out of malice toward me," and stated, "He never loved Cory. To him, his son was just an inconvenient presence in his life."