TOMS RIVER, NJ – A 29-year-old Monroe man has been charged with murder, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer. According to Prosecutor Billhimer, Christopher Gregor, of Monroe Township, was charged with murder in connection with the death of a six-year-old male on April 2, 2021, at Southern Ocean Medical Center in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township.
Gregor has since been released in accordance with New Jersey’s Bail Reform Act.
“On April 2, 2021, Officers from the Stafford Township Police Department responded to Southern Ocean Medical Center in reference to the death of a six-year-old male, identified as C.M. On April 3, 2021, a post-mortem examination was performed by the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office, and it was determined that C.M. sustained injuries due to blunt force trauma,” Billhimer said in a statement. “In the course of investigating the child’s death, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad and Barnegat Township Police Department discovered evidence that revealed that Gregor had committed acts of abuse against the child in Barnegat Township on March 20, 2021. As such, Gregor was charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(2) on July 7, 2021.”
“Though initially lodged in the Ocean County Jail, Gregor was subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform,” said Bryan Huntenburg of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office in a statement.
“On March 3, 2022, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office received a report from the State’s expert witness which indicated that C.M. died as a result of blunt force impact of the chest and abdomen, and determined the manner of the child’s death to be a homicide,” Huntenburg’s statement read. “An extensive investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Barnegat Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, revealed that C.M. was in the custody of Gregor at the time he sustained his life-ending injuries and that Gregor is the individual responsible for the child’s death.”
According to court documents and a statement by the OCPO, “On March 9, 2022, Gregor was taken into custody by Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, Sea Bright Police Department, and Barnegat Township Police Department. Gregor is currently lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.”
“I’m thankful for the collective effort of all of the law enforcement officers that participated in this very thorough and comprehensive investigation over the past 11 months. Today is the first step in bringing the person we believe is responsible for this young boy’s death to justice,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated. “This truly was a team effort, and I’m grateful for the determination and resolve exhibited by all the agencies involved,” Prosecutor Billhimer concluded.