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The 24-year-old man who choked Jordan Neely to his death has been identified as former Marine Daniel Penny. On Monday, May 1, 2023, videos showed the 30-year-old Michael Jackson impersonator being restrained and strangled by Penny and two others for 15 minutes after the former's erratic behavior.
The incident took place on a Northbound train in New York City. Just minutes prior to the fatal encounter, a homeless Neely was seen shouting at the other passengers, saying that he was "hungry" and "ready to die."
Law enforcement officers who rushed to the scene questioned the perpetrator, but no arrests were made. Officials even refused to release his name.
Rumors of Penny's involvement in the incident started flying after the Daily Mail accidentally slipped his name in an image caption in their article pertaining to Neely on Thursday, May 4, 2023. By Friday, a Marine Corps spokesperson confirmed the reports.
Daniel Penny's father was allegedly a senior-ranking NYPD officer prior to his retirement
According to Daniel Penny's LinkedIn profile, he hails from a small city in Suffolk County and joined the Marine Corps in 2017, immediately after graduating from West Islip High School.
He started as an infantryman and soon rose to the rank of sergeant. Public records show he was at stationed at Camp LeJeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He left the service in 2021 and is a recipient of seven medals, including those for good conduct, and service in the global war on terrorism.
Talking about his decision to leave the Corps, he wrote on a recruiting website:
"While serving as squad leader on two deployments, I began to realize what I was passionate about. I loved helping, communicating, and connecting to different people from all over the world.”
Netizens soon started connecting a retired NYPD Colonel with Daniel Penny, claiming that the colonel is his father. They remarked that this coupled with the 24-year-old's military background was the reason why he was not arrested. This news, however, remains unconfirmed.
"Absolutely disgusted but not surprised": Internet users slam Daniel Penny, call him a "murderer"
As news of Daniel Penny's identity went viral, Twitterati were quick to share their thoughts about the former Marine. While many criticized the system for failing Neely, others brought up Penny's military background to imply that he would get away with the crime. Some also pointed out that the 24-year-old did not have any right to pass judgment and kill the 30-year-old.
On Friday, May 5, 2023, Daniel Penny released a statement through his lawyers, Raiser & Kenniff, P.C. claiming his actions were out of fear for his safety and were not intended to kill Neely.
Ever since news of the subway incident went viral, protests have broken out across the city.
