At a court hearing at around 9:40 on the morning of Friday, July 16, 2021, Judge Wendel Daniels released 29-year-old Christopher Gregor from the Ocean County Jail.

After reading hundreds of comments on the Justice for Corey Facebook page, I know for a fact that I wasn’t the only person openly sobbing by the end of the live streamed court hearing this morning. 

Ocean County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Christine Lento represented the State of New Jersey in this morning’s hearing, arguing that Christopher should remain behind bars due to the seriousness of the crime he is accused of committing, which she said was caught on video. Saying probable cause has been well established, Ms. Lento requested Christopher’s continued detention, alleging he posed a danger to the community, may attempt to obstruct justice or threaten witnesses, and may fail to appear for his next court hearing. 

Christopher is the father of 6-year-old Corey Travis Micciolo, whose story I told on last week’s episode of Suffer the Little Children Podcast. According to Corey’s mother, 24-year-old Breanna Micciolo, Corey was conceived when Christopher, then 21, raped her when she was 16. He was not involved in Corey’s life for the first five years. Only when she applied for child support five years later, which was automatically deducted from Christopher’s paychecks, did the man seek visitation with his son.

From the first visit, Corey began returning from court-ordered visitation with his father covered in injuries. Despite Breanna’s many reports to New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency, or DCPP, the visitations continued. Even when she attempted to file an emergency ex parte order, which would give her temporary full custody of Corey, on April 1, 2021, her request was denied.

Corey died the next day. His cause of death, which was revealed last week, was a cardiac contusion, or bruising to his heart muscle. 

Breanna posted multiple photos in Facebook groups of Corey’s various injuries over time.

Christopher was finally arrested on Friday, July 9, 2021 on a charge of child endangerment. However, this charge has nothing to do with Corey’s death; instead, according to court and law enforcement documents obtained by Jersey Shore Online, it stems from an incident that took place on March 20 at the gym in Christopher’s apartment complex. A Preliminary Law Enforcement Incident Report and Affidavit of Probable Cause signed by Barnegat Police Detective William Hetrick describes how security footage captured Christopher and Corey entering the Atlantic Heights apartment complex clubhouse at around 4:17 PM; Corey began running on the treadmill, and Christopher cranked up the speed. When Corey was unable to keep up and fell off the treadmill, Christopher picked him up, placed him back on the moving treadmill, and, according to the police document, “appears to bite” Corey on the head. Corey then fell off the treadmill again, falling each time he tried to get back on the moving belt over and over. 

Breanna told me Corey suffered from severe rug burn-like injuries after the incident; Christopher told her that Corey was “too fat” and frequently forced him to exercise, which is a common form of child abuse that we’ve seen in multiple previous cases, such as those of Zymere Perkins, Emrik Osuna, Ame Deal, Raylee Browning, and many others.

At a doctor’s visit on April 1, Corey’s pediatrician asked him about some of his injuries, documenting in Corey’s chart, “Corey says that he got the chest, arm, and hip bruises and forehead abrasion when he was playing outside on turf. He said that his dad was teaching him to catch a football. When I pressed him further, he said he got more bruises when he fell from a treadmill. He said that he had to run fast because his father said he was too fat.”

Breanna told Jersey Shore Online that Corey first came home with similar treadmill injuries in October of 2019, which she reported to DCPP, as she did with every subsequent injury. “I would tell the caseworker from DCPP that he didn’t want to go with his father. Corey was hiding in closets and crying — kicking and screaming that he didn’t want to go. They told me he had to go anyway.”

Multiple women have come forward since Breanna began telling her story, all of them claiming horrific physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Christopher Gregor. Most have not been comfortable making their names public or even having the details of their stories printed out of fear of retaliation by Christopher, who many believe is an entitled narcissist with severe anger issues and a pathological hatred of women.

One woman told a reporter, “Chris and I dated between 2014 and 2016. We met when I was 17, almost 18, and I believe he was 21, and we moved in together very quickly. Soon after we moved in together, he started physically abusing me. From ‘small things’ like grabbing my arms, to huge things like stabbing with a car key. I constantly was hiding bruises. While I was still 18, I got pregnant. We planned on keeping the baby, yet it only took a couple of weeks for him to be back to hitting me. I felt I had no choice but to have an abortion. I couldn’t bring a child into that situation, to subject them to Chris…

“Chris has hurt so many people, women and friends before me, women and friends after me. He manipulates and lies with more ease than anyone I’ve met. He is charming at first, then more evil and vile than you can imagine.”

What was that Ted Bundy movie called again? Oh, yeah:

Speaking of Ted Bundy, he got off on biting his victims. One such bite mark was instrumental in his conviction. 

Furthermore, evoking Ted Bundy’s well-publicized work at a suicide hotline, Christopher noted on his now-defunct LinkedIn page that he had done volunteer work as a crisis counselor. 

Also, I’m just going to leave this here for no reason whatsoever. Just two pictures that happen to be side by side…

The same former girlfriend of Christopher’s also said, “Chris used to heavily suggest skipping meals to avoid gaining weight. A lot of the focus is on him making Corey run because he believed he was ‘fat,’ and that rings true based on my experience with him.”

In a press release on July 12, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Christopher’s charges and arrest, stating, “On April 2, Officers from the Stafford Township Police Department responded to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin in reference to the death of a six-year-old male. In the course of investigating the child’s death, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad came into possession of evidence revealing that Gregor committed acts of abuse against the child in Barnegat Township on March 20, 2021.

“On July 9, 2021, Gregor surrendered himself to the Barnegat Township Police Department.”

Christopher has not been charged in connection with Corey’s death, although Prosecutor Billhimer emphasized in the press release “that the death of the child remains an ongoing investigation.”

In April, even before he was charged with child endangerment and before Corey’s cause of death was determined, Christopher retained attorney Staten Island criminal defense attorney Mario Gallucci, whose website touts him as one of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100. (His website also mentions that Gallucci “will consider all potential angles of defense in order to create the most effective strategy,” so, like most criminal defense attorneys, he’s willing to lie to get his client off, no matter how reprehensible an individual he represents.) 

Gallucci told NJ Advance Media this week that his client denies all allegations against him. “Mr. Gregor has been aware of this investigation for several months. My office has and continues to do an independent investigation, which includes the retention of a forensic expert.”

Now, why would an innocent man who denies all allegations against him (1) flee the hospital where his son had just died, (2) leave the state, (3) be tracked down in Tennessee, (4) refuse to talk to police, and (5) instantly retain a high-profile criminal defense attorney?

I cannot be the only one who looks at Gallucci and is reminded of famed criminal defense attorney Jose Baez, who’s represented such stellar individuals as Casey Anthony, Aaron Hernandez, and Harvey Weinstein.

Cementing himself as both a liar and a slimeball of the highest order, Gallucci told News12 this week, “Mr. Gregor was given full legal and physical custody on 1/28/20 over the child’s mother because the Court at that time found her to be unable to care for the child. Although we are aware of an incident that occurred on March 20, 2021, our investigation reveals no link between the tragic death of the infant and the 3/20 incident. As a matter of fact, immediately prior to the infant’s death, he was visiting with the mother, and it was my client who took the infant to the emergency room after the infant was returned to him from the mother. The child was taken to the emergency room because he was lethargic and not eating, which prompted Mr. Gregor to take the child to the hospital. Our Medical Examiner expert will be reviewing the ME report, and when appropriate, we will reveal his opinion. I believe once the truth is revealed in this case, as to the relationship the mother and her family had with this child, my client will be completely vindicated.” 

Gallucci also added that Christopher had made numerous reports to DCPP against Breanna. However, Breanna’s family attorney, Christopher Conrad, told Jersey Shore Online, “My client was never charged with child abuse. She knows of no complaints made against her accusing her of hurting Corey.”

Conrad added that the most recent custody order between Breanna and Christopher was a shared custody order dated in October of 2020.

Just a brief pause to interject: Who the hell calls an almost-7-year-old child an “infant”? Only halfway through the statement did Galluci switch to the word “child.”

Breanna told me the statement about Christopher being given full custody in January is a flat-out lie. As for the statement about the relationship between Corey and his mom’s family, one only needs to look as far as DCPP’s involvement with Corey to know the truth. Not once prior to his father being granted unsupervised visitation with Corey was any suspicion whatsoever raised that Corey was being abused or neglected. Corey lived the first five years of his life happy, carefree, and unafraid. Only when Ted Bundy Lite/Paul Bernardo Jr. entered his life did Corey start turning up with unexplained injuries that he ultimately disclosed were caused by his father. What does that tell you?

But wait. It gets better worse. Galluci told Jersey Shore Online that on April 2, when his client left the hospital and fled the state, “He didn’t leave the child. He did go to Tennessee, but that was after the child had passed. His going to Tennessee had nothing to do whatsoever with the case. He was not fleeing anywhere.

“There is not a question in my mind that the mother or someone from her family had something to do with the child’s passing. I am just waiting for the medical examiner’s report and a forensic expert to look at it.”

One more prime quote from Gallucci before we go: “I believe that when the facts of this case come out, there will be justice for Corey, but it’s not Mr. Gregor that is going to be the one to hang for it.”

I’ve been trying to curb my language on the blog and the podcast lately, but I’ve had it: fuck Mario Gallucci, and while we’re at it, fuck Christopher Gregor, too. Sure, you can quote me on that. Why not? There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe how utterly detestable I find both of these alleged human beings. May both develop chronic, fiery diarrhea and incurable hemorrhoids. Simultaneously.

Outside the Ocean County courthouse in Toms River this morning, Breanna and several supporters held signs protesting the possibility of Christopher’s release from jail and demanding justice for Corey. They did the same on Wednesday, when Christopher’s original bail hearing was delayed. 

At Wednesday’s hearing, Gallucci requested a two-day adjournment, saying he needed to review evidentiary matters.

Those who watched the live stream of that hearing reported that Christopher grew angry upon learning he would spend at least two more days in jail, storming out of the room before the judge formally excused him. As Christopher flounced off in a tizzy like a spoiled brat, Gallucci said to him, “Your dad will explain everything to you.” 

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Daddy Dearest (a retired New Jersey state trooper, natch) evidently did explain everything to his precious baby boy, because at today’s hearing, Christopher was on his best behavior, even as Ms. Lento explained to Judge Daniels that the video footage from March illustrates child abuse and that anyone capable of such brutality clearly poses a risk to the community. 

Mario Galluci, however, argued that his client is a John Hopkins University graduate with a Masters degree in education, only one prior contact with the criminal justice system, and no prior warrant history, who voluntarily surrendered to the police last week. Other than time spent obtaining his post secondary education, he had lived in New Jersey for most of his life, and there was no reason to believe such an upstanding citizen would be a risk to the community or a flight risk.

Surprisingly, no one mentioned the fact that, upon realizing his son was dying or dead on April 2, Christopher ran like a dog with his tail between his legs to Tennessee. In fact, no one mentioned that the child Christopher was seen abusing in the security video was dead at all.

Citing Christopher’s “despicable behavior” as seen in the video, Judge Daniels nonetheless ordered him released, saying that ordering the defendant held could lead to an appeal that would overturn his decision anyway. No bail amount. No electronic monitoring. Just… released. 

Outside the courtroom, Breanna was emotional, but this decision has only strengthened her resolve.

Christopher’s next court hearing is scheduled for September 15th.

Please consider supporting Breanna’s fight for justice by signing her petition here. To donate to the GoFundMe campaign, click here. 

Sources: NJCourts.gov livestream, OC Scanner, Justice for Corey Facebook page, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Facebook page, NJ.com, News12 New Jersey, Jersey Shore Online, Facebook, Gallucci Law Firm website