4 things to know about the Daniel Penny case as jury deliberates

By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post Reporter Friday, December 06, 2024

Eyewitness accounts label Neely's behavior 'traumatic'

One 38-year-old witness from Brooklyn who testified last month during Penny's trial described Neely's behavior as "satanic."

The woman remembered Neely making threats that were "very traumatic and very believable" and that she feared she was about to die, as ABC7 reported last month. 

"I assumed he was having some sort of mental breakdown," the witness said. 

Another witness, an 18-year-old high school student, Morielyn Sanchez, testified that she felt relief when she saw Penny place Neely in a chokehold. Even though the veteran had Neely restrained, Sanchez said she still felt scared. 

The teenager testified that she did not think Neely would follow through on his threats. When the defense asked Sanchez if she didn't think Penny was holding the man too tightly, she replied, "Yes." 

In a 911 call prosecutors played for the court, Sanchez is heard telling a 911 operator, "He's trying to attack everybody," referring to Neely. The girl also told the operator, "They're holding him down right now." 

The teenager also took a video of emergency personnel treating Neely, and Sanchez is heard saying about the man, "Oh my god, he's not breathing." 

Another video played during court proceedings showed Penny's interview with detectives from the New York Police Department. In the video, Penny is heard telling officers that he did not intend to hurt Neely and that he had been trying to stop the man from hurting the passengers. 

Johnny Grima, another witness and former homeless man, testified that he thought it was "weird" that Penny stopped him from pouring water on Neely's forehead. Grima had noticed Neely lying on the floor and had wanted to help. 

In a May interview with the Gothamist, Grima described his willingness to testify and stated that he hoped Penny would be convicted and receive the maximum sentence.