Daniel Penny Pleads Not Guilty To Strangling Jordan Neely On The Subway, Bail Set At $100,000

NEW YORK (AP) – A US Marine Corps veteran who strangled a homeless man on a New York City subway last month pleaded not guilty Wednesday to amended charges.

Daniel Penny ( Photo: myclassixatl.com )

Daniel Penney has pleaded not guilty to charges related to the death of Jordan Neely on the New York City subway

Daniel Penny, 24, pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter and negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely, a former Michael Jackson impersonator who yelled and asked for money on a Manhattan train, according to witnesses on May 1. With the help of two other passengers, Penny held the man down and suffocated him for more than three minutes. Neely, 30, lost consciousness during the struggle. The strangled death, captured on bystander video, sparked fierce debate, with some praising Penny as a good Samaritan and others accusing her of being wary of racism and ethnicity.

Penny, who was released on bail, said only the words “not guilty” before leaving the courtroom with his lawyers

Penny was originally arrested on manslaughter charges in May, but a grand jury added the negligent homicide count earlier this month, which may have given jurors the chance to convict him on a lesser charge. To secure a conviction for manslaughter, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, prosecutors will have to prove that Penny recklessly caused Neely’s death knowing the risk of serious harm.

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