With the recent verdict on Daniel Penny, people couldn’t stop but think about Jordan Neely. The guy who never missed a chance to entertain people on the subway at Times Square. He entertained and brought a smile to everyone’s face but in the end, he had the toughest fate.

However, Jordan Neely met with his tragic end, and Daniel Penny, who was charged with his murder, had his recent verdict on the case, leaving people happy and sad equally. After the verdict, everyone was divided into two groups and people couldn’t stop wondering about the safety of the New Yorkers.

What happened to Jordan Neely?

Jordan Neely was 30 years old when he was murdered by Daniel Penny at the subway. Jordan Neely was homeless and was struggling with mental illness when Daniel Penny choked him to death.

Jordan Neely had a rough childhood and grew up in trouble. His mother was broke and couldn’t afford a good living for herself, so they spent many nights at shelter homes. However, Jordan Neely was very close to his mother and they loved each other more than anything.

Death of his Mother

After a while, they accepted their fate and continued to struggle but became each other’s strength. Jordan always used to say goodbye to his mother before leaving for school and just like that, when he was 14, he went to his mother’s room to say goodbye to her but her boyfriend stopped him. Later it was found that his mother was brutally and violently murdered and this left Jordan devastated.

Found Solace in Dancing

He struggled through his life and found solace in dancing on the streets of New York. He was famous for impersonating Michael Jackson and his popular moonwalk. Jordan was great at it and was a big fan of Michael Jackson. However, things went downhill, and he became homeless and was finding it hard to quench his hunger.

Choked for Six Long Minutes

He was hungry, he was homeless and he was mentally ill; all of this added to his behavior and he was many times seen yelling at people or asking for food at the subway. The same happened the day he died. Neely took the New York City subway train at Second Avenue station and allegedly started screaming and yelling at people around him.

People on the subway were scared of such behavior and were stepping away from him. However, Jordan wasn’t hurting anyone, but he was screaming that he was hungry, thirsty, and needed a job. He said he would do anything and would even go to jail and was ready to die.

That’s when Penny approached him, held his neck and choked him. He was holding Jordan’s neck for a good six minutes and even though people around him told him to let him go, he didn’t. There was a video where we could see Penny choking Neely and others also approaching to stop him.

Penny held him till the next station arrived and the New York City Police (NYPD) officers arrived. When they arrived at the spot, Jordan had passed out and had faint pulses. By the time they reached the hospital, Jordan was dead.

Penny is Free of Charge

Penny was taken for questioning by the NYPD but was soon left without any charges. Later, on May 11, 2023, he was charged with second-degree manslaughter but he was released on bond. The next month there was an additional lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide.

Recently, on Monday, the final verdict came and Daniel Penny has been acquitted of negligent homicide. He has pleaded guilty to both charges and has been saved from 15 years in prison for manslaughter, while the lesser charge of negligent homicide carried up to 4 years.

The verdict has brought many conflicting reactions from people. Some are happy for Penny and support him because Neely is dangerous to people. While others couldn’t agree with the verdict and wondered if there is any safety for citizens and if a person struggling with mental illness and homelessness’ life matters. Neely’s family is also heartbroken by the verdict