A man who was killed after being placed in a chokehold on a New York subway has been praised as a "talented" Michael Jackson impersonator.
The man - who was later identified as 30-year-old Jordan Neely - died Monday afternoon (May 1) after being held in a chokehold for 15 minutes by a former Marine.
According to his aunt Carolyn Neely, Jordan reportedly descended into "a complete mess" after his mother, Christie Neely, was reportedly strangled to death and then stuffed into a suitcase in 2007 when he was just 14, per The New York Post.
It was after this that he sunk into a deep depression, and did not receive appropriate treatment for his mental illness.
Carolyn stated: "My sister Christie was murdered in ‘07 and after that, he has never been the same [...] It had a big impact on him. He developed depression and it grew and became more serious. He was schizophrenic, PTSD.
"Doctors knew his condition and he needed to be treated for that. The whole system just failed him. He fell through the cracks of the system."
Jordan's death occurred after he began shouting on the subway, complaining that he was hungry and thirsty and sick of having nothing, per a CNN report.
According to the outlet, Jordan died Monday due to "compression of neck (chokehold)," a spokesperson for the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said. While the manner of death was ruled a homicide, this conclusion is not a ruling on intent or culpability, as that is for the criminal justice system to consider.
"This is a solemn and serious matter that ended in the tragic loss of Jordan Neely's life," Manhattan District Attorney's Office spokesperson Doug Cohen said in a statement. "As part of our rigorous ongoing investigation, we will review the Medical Examiner's report, assess all available video and photo footage, identify and interview as many witnesses as possible, and obtain additional medical records."
Deadline reported that Jordan was a familiar Michael Jackson impersonator, with New Yorkers taking to Twitter to describe seeing the talented impersonator dance to the singer's biggest hits.
Jordan was homeless and the man who put him in the chokehold has now been identified as 24-year-old Daniel Penny from Queens, who was subsequently interviewed by detectives and released.
He is reportedly a veteran who served in the US Marines as a sergeant, and served from 2017 to 2021. Multiple news outlets are describing him as someone who has no prior convictions, but are constantly citing Jordan's past encounters with the NYPD.
"This investigation is being handled by senior, experienced prosecutors and we will provide an update when there is additional public information to share," Cohen stated.
