Following the tragic death of a six-year-old boy who was forced to run on a treadmill, texts sent by his father have been revealed in court.
As previously reported, a heart-wrenching video emerged showing a father reportedly coercing his six-year-old son to run on a treadmill, deeming him "too fat."
The footage sheds light on the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Corey Micciolo, with investigators alleging he suffered a fatal traumatic injury to the heart.
The clip, captured on March 20, 2021, reportedly shows Christopher Gregor, 31, overseeing Corey's attempts to jog on the treadmill, only to witness him repeatedly fall backward.
Gregor is seen lifting the boy and placing him back on the running device.
Corey’s death was deemed a homicide due to chronic child abuse, leading to Gregor's detention on murder and child endangerment charges.
While the defense team claims Corey's death was caused by pneumonia unrelated to any form of abuse, public outrage has surged following the release of CCTV footage earlier this week, further fueled by the recent text message revelations presented in court, per Metro.
During the trial, Corey’s mother, Breanna Micciolo, testified, presenting several text messages to the court, highlighting her concerns over the cuts and bruises Corey had developed while under Gregor's care.
In one of the alleged texts, Micciolo expressed her distress, stating: “I just wanted to let you know that Corey came upstairs upset and almost crying.”
Gregor's response, as per the texts, included him admitting to “smacking a ball” out of Corey’s hand, brushing it off as a “joke," per the Sun.
"Maybe he needs to be a little tougher," Gregor responded while claiming that the six-year-old was "emotional".
The heartbroken mother also alleged that Corey returned home with a “busted lip” after an incident during a football game with Gregor.
Micciolo further claimed that the treadmill was used as a regular form of punishment, adding weight to the prosecution's case against Gregor.
The trial also heard testimonies suggesting a pattern of abuse, with Micciolo describing bruises on Corey’s body, leading her to panic for his health and seek medical assistance.
An autopsy conducted by Dr. Dante Ragusa revealed Corey’s cause of death as blunt force injuries, along with cardiac and liver contusions, acute inflammation, and sepsis.
Despite claims from Gregor's defense team that Corey’s death was unrelated to abuse, the prosecution asserts that the evidence, including the damning CCTV footage and text messages, paints a harrowing picture of the abuse Corey endured.
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