Christie Neely: NYC subway victim Jordan Neely's mother was choked to death by her boyfriend
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: The mother of murdered Jordan Neely who died on a subway after former sergeant Daniel Penny held him in a fatal chokehold, was killed in 2007 by her boyfriend. The New York City busker's mother's body was found inside a suitcase on April 7, 2007, in the Bronx.
Christie Neely, 36 who was a New York City telemarketer was murdered by her boyfriend Shawn Southerland in the Bayonne home the 36-year-old woman shared with her son. She was choked to death and the then 50-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years behind bars in 2012, reported CBS News.
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The loss of Neely's mother 'impacted him'
On a GoFundMe page set up to raise funds for Jordan's funeral, his aunt Carolyn said, "It's been rough for him and all of us." The Michael Jackson impersonator's friend Moses Harper revealed that he was "impacted" by the loss of his mother.
"It traumatized him. He was not expecting that, the brutal way she was taken. That had a big impact on him. The brutality behind that, that traumatized him. This kid has cried in front of me. That hurt him in his heart," said Moses.
On Monday afternoon, May 1, the homeless man was riding a train in Manhattan when he began yelling at passengers and throwing garbage, according to authorities. Talking to New York Post, Juan Alberto Vazquez who captured the confrontation said, "He starts to make a speech. He started screaming in an aggressive manner."
"He said he had no food, he had no drink, that he was tired and doesn't care if he goes to jail. He started screaming all these things, took off his jacket, a black jacket that he had, and threw it on the ground," Vazquez continued.
Protests across the city seeking justice in Neely's death
Neely was stopped by a former Marine who put the 30-year-old man in a chokehold and was later shifted to Lenox Hill Hospital where he was declared dead. Following his manner of death, people demanding justice gathered on the streets to protest and seek answers as to how the brutal incident took place. Neely's death was ruled a homicide by the nature of the pressure on his neck, as per the city's medical examiner.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, "As part of our rigorous ongoing examination, 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." NYPD questioned Penny and released him on Monday.
